A Host from the Past
by NedeserThul
Summary: Six months after the Battle of Endor, the Rebel Alliance has reformed into a new government, calling itself the Alliance of Free Planets. Unfortunately, the Empire is still strong and there is a potentially even more dangerous threat in the form the Zann Consortium. Worse yet, a threat from the distant past is about to come to light, eclipsing all others. See Dark Lords of the Sith
1. Chapter 1: To Battle Corruption

**This story is the sequel to _The End of the Sith._**

 **I had to make this a "crossover" between the Star Wars movies and Star Wars games in order to include some of the characters in the description. Please read and review. There is a mild amount of mature content towards the end. More possibly to come. You have be warned. Enjoy.**

Luke Skywalker sat on a mat behind the desk in his office aboard the MC80 Star Cruiser _Home One_ , meditating on the events of the past six months. That's how long it had been since the Battle of Endor. In that time, the Rebel Alliance had tried to assist at Bakura after an attack from by a race from the unknown regions called the Ssi-ruuk Imperium. However, the former Darth Vader's personal flagship, the Imperial Star Dreadnaught _Executer_ had already arrived under the control of Admiral Piett along with a dozen Imperial-Class Star Destroyers and their full escorts. The Alliance ships retreated immediately before the enemy even had the chance to respond, going back to their base at Endor. It was at Endor, the place of their greatest triumph, that they reestablished themselves as the Alliance of Free Planets. At first, they had looked for a more civilized planet to make their new government's seat of power but after the Battle of Kuat, they had decided that keeping a mobile headquarters/capital would be more strategically sound.

Luke shuddered at the memory of Kuat. He had lead a commando team aboard one of the Imperial-Class Destroyers and captured it, turning its guns on its escorts. General Han Solo had lead the fighter squadrons from his ship the _Millennium Falcon._ The Alliance's mission was to destroy the three massive defense stations and a massive Eclipse-class Star Dreadnaught battle was going well until the Executer-Class Star Dreadnaught _Annihilator_ had dropped out of hyperspace into the fight. It had become desperate then until Tyber Zann and his fleet of war ships showed up. Solo had made a very uneasy alliance with them until Tyber Zann and a mercenary team took control of the new Star Dreadnaught prototype and used it to destroy the _Annihilator_ along with dozens of Imperial AND Rebel ships. Luke had gotten to a TIE Defender and had flown with Solo and all the starfighters they could gather and attacked the prototype, blowing its main reactor and destroying it but not before Tyber Zann had escaped aboard his flagship the _Merciless._

After that, the Alliance's ruling council had requested that Luke be transferred from the Alliance Special Forces Command to the Alliance Special Operations and Intelligence Division. The war with Tyber Zann and his Consortium was not a open field or space battle for the most part. It was a war in the shadows where Special Forces infiltrators and Special Operations agents went to worlds and hunted down the corrupting forces and either captured or eliminated them.

Luke sighed and stood, stretching his cramped legs. For all the benefits that Jedi Meditation had, it still managed to cause his feet to fall asleep and legs to stiffen. He had a half hour before he would go to the Governing Council and military high command with his answer to their offer so he logged on to the terminal in his room and began to look up different worlds that were beginning to show the tell-tale signs of the Zann Consortium's presence, still thinking about the transfer request. If they wanted to, they could just transfer him without asking at all. Luke was a Colonel in the Alliance Special Forces but he could understand what they were doing. The transfer was due to his being a Jedi Knight for one and to his comradery with several members of Special Ops for another. Throwing the jacket of his fatigues on, he buckled on his belt and clipped his lightsaber to it. Just before he reached the door, the door's chime went off. Luke smiled and hit the door panel. The golden plated protocol C-3PO stood before him, leaning back slightly in surprise at his prompt response. "Oh! Master Luke, sir! I was sent here to collect you for the council."

Luke patted the metal shoulder of his faithful droid. "Thanks 3PO. You can take me to them."

They headed from Luke's office aboard the MC80 Star Cruiser _Home One_ to the main command room of that ship. As they walked, Luke interrupted 3PO's rambling to ask, "Hey, did you hear about the _Moldy Crow_ and its crew reporting in?"

3PO didn't really even notice Luke's interruption. "They will be arriving within the hour, Master Luke. The report is that there were no casualties and that the mission was a complete success. The Zann Consortium's enforcers on Chandrilla have been killed or arrested by the local authorities and the corrupted officials have been - eliminated, sir."

Luke nodded. It was a successful mission. Personally, he hated these missions and really didn't want to get involved with them. On the other hand, however, the Zann Consortium was every bit as deadly as the Empire if not possibly worse since it could work its way into any organization. Luke himself had been involved in several different missions involving removing corruption caused by Tyber Zann's defilers. The defilers put in place their own brainwashed officials and then enforced the corruption. They were all over the galaxy. Tyber Zann's organization was so hidden in the shadows that neither the Rebel Alliance nor the Empire knew where to even begin looking for its foundation.

"Master Luke? Are you well, sir?"

Luke snapped back to reality. "Oh. Sorry, buddy. Just lost in thought. Thank you."

He ignored the protocol droid's response and strode into the council room. Marching to the center of a rather large semi-circle, Luke snapped to attention and saluted. "Colonel Skywalker, reporting as ordered."

The council was made up of the highest ranking and most influential members of the Alliance. Mon Mothma, the recently appointed president of the fledgling government, smiled down at Luke. "At ease, Colonel. I assume you know at least in part why we brought you here?"

Luke nodded. "You want my answer on the transfer. My answer is yes with a few requests of my own."

The council members looked at each other. General Airen Cracken, Chief of Alliance Intelligence, which included the Special Ops division, asked, "What are these requests, Colonel?"

Luke took a deep breath and replied, "I want to be allowed to go into the field as an operator not just a controller or administrator or a coordinator. If that means I take a demotion to be able to do that, then so be it."

They all looked around for several long moments and some of them leaned close and whispered to one another. General Madine cleared his throat and asked, "What are the other requests?"

Luke shuffled nervously. "That I can reject or accept the missions given to me; my reason being that a Jedi should never be an assassin or part of a mission of assassination."

The council members looked at each other again. General Reiken, who had been Skywalker's commanding general while the young Jedi was commanding Rogue Squadron said, "We could just reassign you and none of these conditions would be met."

Luke nodded, a small smile on his face. "Yes you could, General. I am wondering why you haven't just done that."

Luke's sister, Leia Organa pursed her lips before saying, "Pardon me saying, Madam President, but I think the Colonel is right. We can't afford to have someone of his talents in a command or control center during important missions. At the same time, if we start using him as an assassin, we will alienate any who may wish to join us, causing them to fear that we will send our 'Jedi thug' after them if they don't."

There were murmurs of agreement in the group. After several moments of low conversing, Mon Mothma turned to Luke. "We will discuss this more, Colonel Skywalker. For the time being, you are dismissed. Oh and Skywalker, I heard that the crew of the _Moldy Crows'_ mission went well and that they are almost back with us. When you return, can you make sure that Lieutenant Jade, Agent Katarn and Agent Ors are with you when you return?"

"I will do so, Madam President." Luke replied. He snapped to attention and did an about face, marching smartly out of the conference room. C-3PO stood at a small podium just outside, acting as a receptionist. "Hello, sir. R2-D2 has just sent me a message to let me know that your X-wing Starfighter in fully ready should you need it. He also asked what he should do with your other ship."

Luke looked at the golden droid. "My other ship? I don't have another ship. What is he talking about, 3PO?"

The golden droid checked a datapad in front of him before saying, "According to recent logistics reports, a YT-2000 Light Freighter has been signed out to you. The report also states that it has the latest in technology added to it. Hmmm… by the looks of it sir, this ship has enough armor, shielding and weapons to take on a Victory-Class Destroyer on its own."

Luke was shocked. The YT-2000 was a ship that had just recently been taken out of production by the Correllian Engineering Corporation. They were easily modifiable and, therefore, could be upgraded with the greatest of ease. "Thanks, 3PO. I'm going to take a look at it right now. Tell R2 to meet me there, will you?"

Before the protocol droid could reply, Luke was quick marching towards the main hanger bay. He was a little nervous about this new ship and didn't know whether to pray that it was or was not a lot like the _Millennium Falcon._ As soon as he hopped through the hanger doors, he saw the ship and gaped at it. It was, next to Han Solo's ship, the ugliest looking thing he had ever seen but even so, he could see that it was an impressive ship. Dorsal and ventral quad laser cannons were visible not to mention a set of Ion Cannons much like those found on Y-wings. Luke ran several laps around the ship's exterior, beginning to feel like he had when he had bought his T-16 Skyhopper when he was just sixteen. The sublight engines were not factory stock. Neither was the hull plating, the sensor relay package, the comms array or any of the ships major systems. Running up and boarding ramps and almost tripping over his faithful droid R2-D2, Luke gave an excited woop and ran straight to the cockpit to check on the ship's systems. Despite its aesthetically displeasing outer appearance, this ship was a real work of technological art – at least in Luke's eyes. "Hey kid, what do you think?"

Luke turned around to see Han Solo wiping his hands on a greasy rag. "Pretty great, huh? Chewie, Lando and I just got her finished for you. She's not as fast as the _Falcon_ but she has double the fire power."

Luke laughed and hugged his best friend. "This is fantastic, Han. Whose idea was it anyway?"

Han scratched the back of his neck and said, "Well it is your birthday in a few days and Leia was pretty confident you would take the transfer and the council wanted to give you a small incentive. Since this ship's been sitting in mothballs since before Hoth, Lando and I suggested we take it, upgrade and modify the hell out of it and then have it assigned to you."

Luke looked just like the naïve, ridiculous farm boy he had just after Yavin when he was getting a medal looped around his neck by a beautiful princess. "This is amazing Han."

The smuggler-turned general winked and said, "You haven't seen the best parts yet. Come on."

Immediately after leaving the cockpit and heading towards the rear of the ship, they passed Chewbacca. The big wookie gave a low growl in greeting and Luke reached over to scratch his neck. "Thanks, Chewie. This ship looks amazing."

Chewie growled in pleasure before turning back to whatever task he was doing. "Okay Luke, take a look at this hatch. I had it specially modified so that, if you had to, you could drop down it into a fighter. You see, the outside has some pretty serious magnetic cargo clamps attached to it. They are rated to be able to carry cargo as heavy as this ship so your X-wing or some other starfighter like it shouldn't be a problem."

Luke's grin only got bigger and Han chuckled before saying, "Come on, kid. The best part is still ahead. Now I know that the _Falcon's_ cabins aren't all that good so I made sure that this ship's cabins were the best they can be. Especially the captain's quarters."

Turning the right slightly, Han slapped a door panel. The cabin inside wasn't huge but it was well furnished. There was a single, fairly large bed, a small desk and the walls had drawers for storage. It also had its own refresher unit. "I figured it's important to have a comfortable cabin. You know, just in case you need to escape somewhere – somewhere to meet someone you don't want to be caught meeting and still be comfortable."

Luke froze. He slowly turned to Han, who was grinning like a clown. The older man gave him a wink and Luke felt his face heating up and coloring. "Hey, Luke old buddy. Come and take a look at this storage unit;" came a call from another part of the ship. Trying to mask his embarrassment at what Han might have been suggesting. Lando Callrissian, a dark skinned human, stood in a large empty space. Luke was slightly confused. "It looks pretty good, Lando. Am I missing something?"

Lando chuckled and entered a combination on a wall monitor. At the back of the storage unit, a massive section of wall slid up, revealing what looked to be an empty weapons rack. Luke grinned again. "Now that's impressive. Is that even legal by Alliance regs?"

Both Lando and Han looked at each other, shrugged and then said together, "Nope."

Lando lifted a finger and said, "Last but not least, you need to see the galley, Luke. I made sure it had everything you would need to make a spectacular meal for…" and he and Han exchanged winks, "…whoever you may happen to have on board with you."

None of this got past Luke but, seeing all the hard work that had gone into the ship, he didn't mind their teasing. "You guys are amazing. Thank you so much. How the kriff did Leia convince the council to let you do this?"

They both chuckled again and it took Luke only a second to realize. "Let me guess, this is all stuff you 'acquired' and simply added to the ship without official permission, isn't it?"

Lando shook his dark head. "Ask us no questions, Luke. Plausible deniability is going to be your best friend, trust me."

Luke just laughed. He was about to thank them again when the sound of a landing alarm starting going off. A ship was coming into the hanger to land. All four of the beings in the ship ran through the corridor and down the boarding ramp. Just as they exited the ship a CEC HWK-290 Light Freighter slowly glided into the hanger and maneuvered into an open space between Luke's new ship and Mara Jade's Suwantek TL-1800 Freighter. Luke's grin had gotten so big, Lando whispered to Han, "How is his face not splitting open right now? You'd think he hadn't seen her since Endor."

Han whispered back, "Well their schedules have been pretty opposing. I doubt they've had more than a few meals and some stolen kisses since then."

"Poor kids. You think we can try to engineer a getaway so that they can spend some real time alone together, Han?"

The former smuggler looked at his friend and grinned wickedly. "Oh I don't know, I'm sure we could figure something out. We'd have to get Leia in on it though or else we'd both lose our commissions."

Lando nodded and they watched with Chewie as Luke stepped quickly towards the landed ship. Down the boarding ramp strode three figures – two women and one man. The man was rubbing his temples as the two women argued heatedly. "There is no way I'm EVER letting you piloting my ship again, Jade;" said the first, an attractive woman of just taller than medium height with brown hair wearing brown leather pants, black boots and a thick pocketed jacket over a tan shirt. The woman she was talking to, a shorter woman with golden-red hair and wearing a black leather, tightly fitting jumpsuit scoffed back in a lower, almost husky voice, "'Let me?' Ors, I had to get us out of there or else we never would have escaped. If you and Kyle had gone any slower, I would have had to haul your sorry butts out of their and fight off the local defense fighters. That little scratch won't hurt the _Crow_."

Jan Ors stopped and almost shrieked, "'Little scratch'? You managed to lose the entire sensor array pulling off that stunt, Jade!"

The fiery redhead smirked, "She needed a new one anyway. That thing couldn't pick up a star dreadnaught if it were shooting at it."

Luke had stopped and was weighing the risk of interrupting the argument when Kyle Katarn, the male agent who had gone along walked up and said, "Please, PLEASE tell me you have pain killers. I NEED pain killers."

Luke motioned to a standard work area medkit on one of the pillars and said, "How bad would it be if I tried to pry them apart, Kyle?"

Kyle shook his head. "Already tried, Colonel. You'll just wind up like me – with a headache and the urge to drink a couple bottles of Correllian fire whiskey."

Luke nodded, still contemplating whether it was worth it until Mara, in the midst of a snarky remark saw him and forgot what she was going to say. A beautiful and utterly genuine smile crossed her lovely features and she forgot about Jan. "Farmboy! Hey!"

She ran up and flung her arms around him. It took all of Mara's finely honed discipline not to lay a burning kiss on Luke's lips. After their little display of affection at celebration after Endor, Command had warned them against such public displays. Jan walked by frostily and said, "Colonel."

Kyle threw an arm around her shoulder and said, "It's alright, Jan. That sensor's array was wearing out anyway. Now we have an excuse to request a new one."

Luke and Mara had separated and Luke was getting her caught up on current events. Mara's already blinding smile brightened even more. "So you ARE transferring to Ops! That's great! Maybe we'll get some missions together."

She leaned in close and whispered seductively, "I've been praying for a chance to go on a mission alone with you since Endor. You have no idea how much I've been hoping."

Luke blushed at her. "Oh I think I can imagine. I've been hoping for the same thing."

Suddenly, they were interrupted by two throats being cleared and a very rough _gruff gruff gruff_ sound. Turning, Mara scowled at Lando Callrissian, Han Solo and Chewbacca, all of whom were grinning ear to ear. "Generals, Chewbacca, anything I can do for you?"

Lando shook his head and Han said, "Not a thing, Red. We were just finishing up the upgrades and modifications on Luke's new ship here."

He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. Mara looked at it with a frown. Slowly, she walked around the exterior of the ship and, when she had made it to the bottom of the boarding ramp where Luke was waiting with a big grin on his face, she looked impressed. "Wow. I haven't seen one of these in a while. The Empire never used them because, at least in their stock form, they aren't worth the credits to order in bulk. You three have done a hell of a job though."

Luke motioned her up the ramp, barely containing his excitement. "It gets better. Take a look inside."

Lando and Han were about to follow when Chewie gave a growl. "Good point, buddy. Come on Lando, let's get cleaned up and leave them alone. This may be the most time alone they get for a while now."

Mara was impressed with everything she saw, especially the hidden weapons rack and galley. "I think i'll install a rack like that on my ship."

Luke unintentionally showed her the cabins last. "Here are the captain's quarters. They are only a little bigger than the other cabins but it does have its own refresher."

"And a sizable bed too." She turned her dazzling green eyes on Luke. "Why the big bed, Farmboy?"

Luke didn't respond out loud. He just shrugged and moved closer to her. Mara smiled happily and tossed a couple loose locks of hair out of her face as she wrapped her arms around Luke's neck and allowed him to pull her into a deep, passionate kiss. She gave a low moan as Luke's tongue pressed between her lips and caressed her own. After nearly a minute, they separated for lack of oxygen. "Want to try the bed out?" asked Mara in a breathless, husky voice. Luke's blue eyes blazed with want and he slowly began maneuvering them both to the bed as he covered her mouth with another searing kiss. They didn't even make it that far before they were surprised by the whistles of Luke's R2 droid. Luke groaned in disappointment. "Yes, R2. Tell 3PO that we are on our way. Oh and make sure that 3PO gets Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors too."

The little droid tweetled in reply before rolling off. Luke looked back at Mara whose eyes were still alight with green fire. Sighing, Luke wrapped her in his arms again and said, "Well looks like duty calls – again."

Mara nodded but then pulled him almost violently into another kiss and refused to let him go until they both saw stars for want or air. "That will hopefully tide us over;" she murmured, sounding almost drunk. Luke nodded dumbly and they both made their way to the ships ramp.

The Governing Council, with the addition of Generals Solo and Calrissian watched silently as Colonel Luke Skywalker, Lieutenant Mara Jade, Agent Jan Ors and Agent Kyle Katarn filed in. Just as before, Skywalker snapped to attention but before he could make the proper announcement, Han Solo said, "At ease, Colonel."

The military leadership gave him a disapproving look, which Han ignored. Leia hid a smile. After a moment, Mon Mothma stood and said, "We hope that the ship we assigned you is satisfactory, Colonel."

Luke smiled his big farm boy smile and said, "Very much so, Madam President. Thank you, council members."

Mon Mothma smiled and continued. "We have received word that the government of the planet of Naboo has been corrupted by the intergalactic crime organization the Zann Consortium."

Everyone scowled. The Zann Consortium was becoming an all too familiar problem. Luke cleared his throat. "So what's the mission?"

General Crix Madine replied, "We want you to go and eliminate or arrest all of Zann's infiltrators on planet. If the current king, a King Marious Tahoon I believe, is a puppet ruler who has been brain washed, he must be eliminated."

Luke frowned, anger rising within him. He was about to object when Leia lifted a hand, forestalling his argument and saying, "We know that you object to assassination but if we don't do something to get rid of him, then the beings of Naboo will be enslaved and the rich energy deposits will be used by Tyber Zann. We CANNOT allow that, Luke."

Luke nodded, still unhappy about it. General Madine continued, "How you do this is up to you. Go requisition what you need. You will leave by zero-seven hundred standard time tomorrow morning. Colonel Skywalker, you are in charge of this mission. Any questions?"

Luke lifted a hand. "Why us, Sir? Agents Ors and Katarn and Lieutenant Jade just got back from a mission less than an hour ago and besides, wouldn't a full intelligence team or infiltration commando unit be better for this operation?"

General Airen Cracken answered, "Because Tyber Zann has infiltrators in every level of our infrastructure. To be frank, you four are the best we have and we can trust you. That's why you're going. Also, within this room are the only persons who know about this mission. Make sure it stays that way. Are there any other question?"

No one said anything. General Madine nodded, "Go and get what you need. Dismissed."

When they had exited, Luke turned to his three new team mates. "We have less than sixteen hours to get ready for this mission. Agent Ors, Lieutenant Jade can I trust you two to be civil?"

They both nodded and said, "Yes sir."

"Good. Now Kyle, go to the quartermaster and requisition all emergency and field rations as well as medical supplies that we may need. Jan, go and get as much bench stock parts and supplies as we are allowed by regs to take with us. If you can get some that aren't technically allowed by regs, get those too. Lieutenant, go to the armorer and pick out any and all weapons you want or think may be necessary. I will go and get the non-ration food so that we can have a few real meals on this trip. Any questions?"

They all shook their heads and Luke dismissed them to their tasks. For the better part of the remaining day, they gathered supplies. A train of hover-carts were lined up outside the ship and the four of them became animated about stocking Luke's new ship. Mara and Jan were not only civil, but seemed to actually become quite amiable with one another as they helped each other store the parts and weapons in the cargo bay. When all was stowed and the carts returned to their proper places, Luke faced them all at the bottom of the boarding ramp. "Well done. That took less time than I thought it would. We lift off in ten hours so go get some sleep, eat a couple good meals and see to any personal gear your bringing along. If you need me, just give me a ping on the comlink. Do you need anything from me right now?"

Mara raised a hand slightly. "Can I speak to you in private, Colonel? There are a few things I would like to go over with you."

Through the mental link that they shared through the force, he heard her heated words. _For instance, I would love to go over you – ALL OVER YOU._

Luke had a lot of practice dealing with Mara's mental flirting and had even been able to learn to hide his embarrassment. However, he felt his face begin to color and he cleared his throat before replying, "Of course, Lieutenant. Is it urgent or would you like to discuss it after dinner?"

In his head, Luke heard, _URGENT doesn't even begin to describe it, Farmboy. I'm getting plasma burn from the inside out, here._

Verbally, she said, "It can wait till after dinner. It's nothing world shattering." _Yes, it can wait but you owe me, Farmboy for making me wait. I WILL collect later._

"Very well Lieutenant. Do any of you want to join me in the mess? I hear that the new cook actually seasons the food."

Jan and Kyle declined but Mara said, "Sure. An Alliance cook who uses salt has to be one of the new wonders of the galaxy. I'm game." _You know, that bed aboard your ship still needs to be tested. You never know with those starship beds. Seeing as how it's kinda big, it would be more efficient if two people tested it, don't you think?_

Luke felt a smile tug at his lips. Looking at Mara, he was almost startled at the barely contained desire on her face. _Are you feeling okay, Mara? You've never been this… insistent before. I'm not complaining but I do want to be sure you're okay._

 _I'm fine, Farmboy. I just had to deal with hearing Ors and Katarn going at it like a couple of Dantooine Kath Hounds in the middle of spring a couple of times during that last mission. I'm sure you can imagine how that made me feel._

Luke winced at the thought. Spring was mating season for Kath Hounds on Dantooine. It must have been absolute torture for her on so many levels. _Well they say anticipation is half the fun._

Mara turned a green eyed glare on him. _Anticipate THIS, Farmboy._

Immediately all the emotions and feelings as well as several rather erotic if half remembered dreams washed over their mental link. Luke gasped involuntarily and staggered, causing Jade to grab his arm. Luke looked at her, his face burning. Mara stood there, smirking wickedly as she said out loud. "Careful, Colonel. We can't have you hurting yourself before the mission now can we?"

Inwardly Luke groaned. He could already feel the effects of Mara's mental delivery on his body and mind. Out of pure stubbornness, he forced himself to go to the mess hall, get food, sit down and eat it as slowly as possible. He and Mara then went and got their gear together. Then, side by side, with Mara sending more and more heated thoughts over their mental link, they made their way to Luke's new ship. As soon as they were up the ramp, Luke closed the boarding hatch and Mara grabbed the front of Luke's shirt, swung him around and rather violently slammed him against the bulkhead, kissing him hard. Luke's groan was partly from the effects of Mara's kiss and partly from the fact that she had just slammed him into a solid durasteel wall. He could already feel the bruises forming on his back and shoulders. Mara lifted a leg around his waist and leaned herself against his with an insistent moan. Luke grabbed the leg and then, displaying a decent amount of strength for someone of his stature, also grabbed and lifted the other one, supporting Mara's weight on his hips as he carried her towards the captain's cabin. He almost went past it since Mara refused to let him get far enough away to see where he was going. After several swings and misses, Luke slapped the door control and carried her in, still fastened to her lips. As carefully as he could, he laid them both on the bed. Mara stopped kissing him and gazed at him through lidded eyes. "I've waited so long for this." She murmured. Luke nodded and replied breathlessly, "So have I, ever since Endor."

Mara's eyes widened slightly and she pulled him down so she could whisper in his ear, her voice a sultry purr. "Oh Farmboy, I've been waiting since before Endor. Remember that little game we played on the trip from Dagobah to Sullust?"

Luke's eyes widened. Her sultry purr gained a slight edge of desperation in it. "Too many clothes, Luke."

Jumping back to their feet, they both began to divest themselves of their garments between nearly smothering each other with kisses. They had both made it down to their undergarments and Mara was about to throw Luke onto the bed when a whistle and several beeps came from the doorway. They both froze and Luke spun around. His astromech droid R2-D2 was standing there, tweetling to them curiously. Mara narrowed her eyes. Standing there in just a gray tanktop and panties, she sent a thought to Luke across their mental link. _That droid had better not be recording, Skywalker._

Luke had to take a deep breath, embarrassed in his own state of undress. The droid whistled a question. "No, R2! Mara is not trying to kill me – nothing like that at all. We're..."

And Luke fumbled to try and explain to a non-living droid about love, sex and everything involving the two subjects but nothing came to him. Finally, he managed, "We are just getting ready for bed, buddy."

The droid whistled and beeped and Luke turned as red as if he had been burnt by the Tatooine suns. "Yes, R2. For sentient beings, sometimes it DOES involve a lot of physical contact. Why don't you go to the droid maintenance shop and recharge yourself. Oh, and make sure R3-L9's upgrades are finished. She'll be coming with us too."

The droid whistled more and Mara began to get impatient. Kneeling on the bed, she wrapped her arms around Luke from behind and pressed her body against his back. She began to kiss along the back of his neck, nibble and lick his ears and generally just remind him that she was waiting for him. Luke's speech quickly became halting and disjointed. "I just don't wa – want you to be – become – to get overwor - worked, little buddy. Go on, now. Get – get to the maint – mainten – just get out of here, R2!" Luke groaned. Mara had been kissing a line of fire up and down his back while rubbing up and down his chest and stomach, enjoying the feel of his hard muscles while also pressing her own body against his. To make matters worse, she had allowed her undershirt to lift as she rubbed until her own bare breasts rubbed against his back. It was then that Luke had enough. He spun and wrapped his arms around her, now ignoring his droid, and kissing her soft lips before kissing his way back to her ears and down along her jaw. Luke took his time, wanting to prolong and savor their first time. _Don't prolong it too much, Luke. As much as I want this, I'm exhausted. By the force, you smell good, Farmboy_

Luke smiled against her collar bone before giving it just the faintest little love bite. _What are you talking about? I smell like sweat, preservatives, cleaning oils and various other solutions._

 _Oh but to me that is the SEXIEST smell in the galaxy. Still too many clothes. Little help with this shirt?_

Luke placed his hands on her hips and slid his fingers up her ribs, slowly raising the undershirt along with them. He almost had it off when his comlink chimed. He froze for several seconds and turned his head to glare at the device. It continued to chime. Using the force, he called it to him and saw that it was his sister, Leia Organa. With a snort, he tossed it on the foot of the bed and went back to what he was doing. Mara gave a moan as he began to kiss his way up her bare stomach and ribs. The comlink chimed again and they both groaned in frustration. "Just get it, Luke. See what she wants."

Mara liked Leia. They were good friends but at that moment, Mara wanted to scream at her. Luke told himself "a Jedi does not know rage" a couple times quickly before answering, trying to sound like he had just woken up. "Hello?"

His sisters voice betrayed no knowledge of what they were up to. "Hey Luke. Everything going okay? R2 said he had just ran into you on the ship and was a little nervous for you."

Luke suppressed another groan and replied, "Yup everything's all good. I just had some work to do on the ship and decided to stay in the captain's cabin when I was finished."

"Hmmm... and did Lieutenant Jade decide to stay after the work was finished too?"

Luke gave a groan and said, "Look Leia, we're – I'M kinda in the middle of something here. Is there something you need?"

Leia chuckle nearly made Luke snap at her, he was so frustrated. "No I don't need anything. Just making sure you're okay. You know how R2 can be."

"Yes I do. Sleep well, Leia. Night;" and Luke closed down the device. Turning back to Mara, he was utterly bewildered to discover that she had fallen asleep. Looking up to the ceiling of the cabin, Luke cursed long and silently as his raging libido began to dissipate. With a disappointed sigh, Luke grabbed a blanket and threw it over both of them before he wrapped Mara in his arms, kissed her on her soft cheek and whispered, "Goodnight, Mara."

 **Updated May 24, 2016**


	2. Chapter 2: Sith Lord and Crime Lord

The planet was not on any regular star charts. It was tucked way out in the Outer Rim, almost on the borders of Wildspace. It was a single planet orbiting a single star without even a moon. From the cockpit of her "commandeered" TZ-15 shuttle, Silri examined the results of her scan. The atmosphere was thick enough to maintain oxygen and there was just enough plant life to produce enough to breath. Gazing one more time at the Sith Holocron she had set on the console, the Nightsister witch debated whether finding this planet and its colossal secret was worth the repercussions. A rending, crashing noise came from the hold of the ship. Fondly, Silri sent thoughts back to her tamed rancor. _Peace, Agroada. You will be able to hunt soon._

The crashing subsided. Silri frowned and returned to the console before angling down towards the planet. It showed that there were many life forms from creatures the size of Tatooine wamp rats to creatures only slightly smaller than rancors themselves. Agroada would hunt well down there. Agroada, when loosely translated from Dathomiri to Galactic Basic, meant 'cuddly one' or 'one who cuddles'. Because of that, many of the mercenaries of the Zann Consortium had mocked the rancor, simply calling him Cuddles. Silri didn't care. They would pay. Soon enough, Tyber Zann and all of his thugs and slaves would be under the rule of someone far more powerful.

The shuttle landed and Silri opened the cargo door. _Go, my pet. Hunt and sate your hunger._

With a roar, her rancor thudded off into the wilderness. Silri turned towards some mountains. Setting the Sith Holocron on the ground, she knelt and activated it. A great holographic star map came into view. Silri hissed, "I have found the planet. Show me the location of the mountain fortress."

The map focused in towards a star with a single planet and then focused in further until a single red dot showed in a range of mountains and coordinates began to flash across the bottom of the holo projection. Smiling grimly, Silri took a datapad from her belt, mentally thanking the mercenary who had taught her both how to pilot and how to use different pieces of technology during her time with the Zann Consortium. She then took a speeder from the cargo hold of the ship and sped off towards the coordinates. It was only a few hours and the sun was beginning to set when she reached the spot. Before her, a sheer cliff rose towards the heavens and near the face of the cliff, a single pedestal stuck out of the ground. A triangle was engraved in the pedestal and Silri placed the holocron in it. The Sith device fit perfectly and it began to glow and hum. Just then, a door opened in the cliff face before her. Smiling in anticipation, Silri removed the holocron and entered the dark cavern. Only forty or so meters into the mountain, the tunnel opened into a massive chamber. As she set foot in it, rows of lights, one after another, began to turn on. For kilometers, the lights flashed into existence and, seeing what had been hidden away for uncounted years by the holocrons creator, whomever it was, Silri laughed with delight. In the chamber before her, in row upon row, were thousands if not tens of thousands of men in battle armor encased in carbonite. Their vital signs showed that they were alive and perfectly well. Even the brain wave readers showed perfect mental functionality. Whomever had put these soldiers into hibernation had perfected the process. Still smiling, the Nightsister went through row after row, counting a hundred rows. At the rear of the carbon-frozen army, she found a dais where another two hundred blocks were. These men and women wore long robes and beside each block was a pedestal with a small cylinder resting upon its cushioned top. Even through the carbon freeze, Silri could feel the dark power emanating from each and every one of these people. Upon an even higher platform were two blocks of carbonite – both human, both male. As with the others, their pedestals also had the strange cylinders on them. Silri recognized the cylinders as lightsabers. Suddenly, the holocron in her hand shone and rapidly heated up, causing her to yelp and drop it before it burned her. Instead of a star chart being projected from it, a figure of a man, armored, masked, hooded and cloaked appeared. "You have found my army. To awaken it, you must first awaken my old friend Talvon Esan, Sith Master of the Honoghr Academy and his most talented apprentice Xaset Terep. I assume that Emperor Vitiate's Sith Empire has returned to challenge you now and I am not here to defeat them. Trust Master Esan. He understands the Sith even better than I and Lord Malak do."

The projection was silent as if waiting. Silri cleared her throat and asked, "My lord, who are you?"

The holocron crackled and the projection replied, "If you do not know who I am then you are not one of my disciples. Save yourself and leave now. Bring this holocron to Darth Revan's Sith and leave it with them."

The holocron winked out of existence and Silri picked it up again. She studied it for a while before turning back to the two blocks of carbonite. Indecision flickered through her mind. Should she unfreeze two Sith Lords? The last two had hunted her people to the edge of extinction. It was only by guile and a loss of interest by Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader that the Nightsister clans had survived, though they were still hunted by several overzealous Imperial garrison commanders – each of which met their end on Silri's lightwhip. Squaring her shoulders, she marched up to the blocks and keyed the thawing process on first one and then on the other. Within minutes, two tall figures stepped out of the blocks, stretching their muscles and stifling yawns as they looked about. One of them, a black haired human turned to the other, "Darth Revan was right, Master Esan. He did perfect the process. I can see perfectly fine and there is no hibernation sickness."

The other, a tall, broad-shouldered man with blond hair and yellow eyes nodded. "Of course, Xaset. Did you lack faith in our Dark Lord?"

"Of course not, Master. You!"

The black haired human, obviously the other's apprentice, pointed at Silri, "Take us to your master. We must report to Darth Revan and Darth Malak immediately."

Silri bowed low and said, "My lord, who are Darth Revan and Darth Malak?"

The two Sith looked at one another. "Are you mocking us?" Asked the apprentice in an ice-cold voice. His master said, "Wait, Xaset. Tell me, adept, what is your name and which Sith Master are you under?"

Silri was confused. "My name is Silri and I do not serve a Sith Master. The last Sith Lords died six months ago. If I may ask my Lords, what was happening in the galaxy when you were placed in hibernation?"

Xaset sneered. "Darth Revan was beginning his conquest of the Republic and the Jedi Order. We have just defeated the Mandalorian Clans and now the Republic is next."

This sparked Silri's memory. These two Sith Lords had been in carbonite, in perfect suspended animation, for over four thousand years. "My Lords, I don't know how to tell you this but Malak was slain four thousand years ago and Revan was slain three hundred years after Darth Malak. You have been slumbering for four millennia."

Silence followed her declaration. Xaset began to sputter, but Master Esan placed a hand on his shoulder before saying to Silri, "I sense that you tell the truth, Adept Silri. Tell me, what has happened in the past four millennia?"

Silri lowered her head. If it were not for the power that radiated from the two Sith in waves, she would not have bowed but even a proud witch of the Nightsisters knew when she was grievously outmatched. "I cannot tell you for I myself have lived in isolation for the better part of my life."

They both looked coldly at her. Suddenly, an idea formed in Silri's mind that made her smile and she said, "My Lords, I know a man who will be able to show you everything that has happened in the years between when you were frozen and now. I can bring him here to you, my Lords."

Xaset looked at his master who said, "Bring him here then, Adept Silri. While he is on the way, you can tell us about him and about yourself."

Silri smiled and said, "If you will permit me, my Lords, I must return to my ship. From there, I can contact this man."

Xaset scowled and Master Esan said, "We will be coming with you, Adept. If you try to betray use, you will die in the worst agony you have ever felt. Do you understand me?"

Silri bowed. The power that radiated from these two Sith was almost intoxicating. She wanted that power. She wanted to become a Sith and wanted it for her sisters as well. Turning away from the Sith, she began to stride confidently back through the rows of soldiers in armor until she came to the door that still stood open. Using a bec-and-call device for her ship, Silri summoned the shuttle and using the force, she summoned her rancor. Darth Diabolis was impressed that she could communicate with the beast from so far. It took less than an hour for the ship to arrive. Immediately, she ran aboard and powered up her long range communicator. As soon as the silver maned Tyber Zann appeared on the holo projector, Silri's face changed. "Tyber Zann, greetings. I trust you are well?"

The man sneered at her. "Silri, how goes your search for the great secret of that Sith holocron? Did you find what you sought?"

Silri bowed her head as if ashamed, "There is nothing, just some old ruins. The Emperor clearly already looted this place. You were right, Tyber Zann. Now I am alone. My ship is low on fuel and I will not be able to return unless..."

"...unless I go all the way out there and rescue you, am I correct?"

Silri nodded. "You do not have to come yourself, Tyber Zann. You can send someone else - "

"And miss the opportunity to see you, your hat in your hands, as you accept my help? Not for all the credits in the galaxy, Silri. I will be there in a few standard days."

Silri bowed her head and murmured, "I – I thank you, Tyber Zann."

The silver haired man laughed and signed off. The sound of clapping came from behind her. Silri turned with just the hint of a smug smile on her face. Master Esan was smiling with approval and clapping his black gloved hands together. "Well done, Silri. That deception was worthy of a Sith. I sense that you are very strong in the force, especially the dark side of the force. Tell me, where did you learn your skills? How did you learn to communicate with your rancor?"

Silri smiled and said, "All nightsisters know the spells and magiks of the dark side – at least we are trained in some of them. The sisters of Dathomir were never anything against the Sith, though. In recent years, they hunted us and either kidnapped us, locked us in prisons or killed us."

Master Esan nodded and motioned towards a chair. "May I sit, Adept?"

The question caused his apprentice to look in wonder at his Master. Apparently the Sith of four millennia ago were not known for their manners. For that matter, the late Sith Lords were not known for theirs either. Silri smiled and said, "You would honor me, my Lord."

Master Esan sat and examined the woman before him. She had pale skin and tribal marks with long dark hair. She wore a red leather tunic and trousers and had a lightwhip at her belt. She was tall, slim with an athletic build. Smiling, Master Esan said, "You are magnificent, Silri – a woman of power and poise. I would be greatly obliged if you would allow me to share the knowledge of the Sith with you and if you would share any knowledge that you may have with me."

Silri's heart pounded. She hadn't even had to ask to be taught by this powerful man. He had offered. She stood from her chair and bowed, bending her Nightsister pride almost to the breaking point. "It would be the greatest honor, my lord."

"Rise, Acolyte Silri. Your training shall begin shortly. Xaset, I now give you the rank of Sith Shadow Hand. You will enforce my will in the galaxy. Since we are the last remaining Sith, I claim the title of Dark Lord of the Sith. My new name is Darth Diabolis. Xaset Terep, I christen you Darth Heluquin. Do you challenge me, Darth Heluquin?"

The new Darth Heluquin's eyes blazed with pride and power and he bowed. "Your will be done, my Master."

Darth Diabolis turned to his newest acolyte and said, "If you would be so kind as to take this ship closer to the mountain fortress, we can begin your training, Acolyte Silri."

Silri bowed low and purred, "Yes, my lord."

For the next several days, Darth Diabolis taught Silri some of the basics of Sith teachings and gave her a lightsaber, insisting that she learn to use it. "The lightwhip is an effective weapon, Silri but to defeat a lightsaber, you must know at least a theory on how to use them."

When Tyber Zann's ship, the _Merciless,_ dropped out of hyperspace, Silri stood out before the mountain fortress. Aside from her leather shirt, pants and boots, she also wore a black Sith robe. Tyber Zann strode down the ramp of the shuttle with his friend and lieutenant Urai Fenn, an ancient warrior of a species that Silri still didn't know. "Well, well, well… Silri has added to her wardrobe. I will refuel MY shuttle and, if you beg me, I'll take you back and make you the mother of your clan again;" said the silver haired crime lord.

Silri sneered and said, "You will be the one to beg. My master will see to that."

Tyber snapped, "If you have a master, that is me, witch. Try any of your force tricks and Urai and I will kill you. We know you're not THAT strong or well trained."

"No she isn't but I and my apprentice are and she certainly has the potential."

From the depths of the mountain fortress strode the two Sith Lords. With a string of curses, Tyber Zann yanked out an energy scatter blaster and fired at both of them. Darth Diabolist raised a force barrier and absorbed the blasts. Urai had charged with his twin blades but a blast of telekinetic energy sent him skidding in the dust. "Enough. You must be the man called Tyber Zann. Silri has told me so much about you. I have a request for you. You see, I've been in hibernation for over four thousand years and I need to get caught up on current events. Dear Silri here told me that you could get me this information. Will you help me out, Tyber Zann? My name, by the way, is Darth Diabolis."

Zann still had his blaster leveled and was about to squeeze off another shot until it was yanked from his hand. It crossed the distance to land in Silri's outstretched hand. She smirked and said, "It is an request now. It will not be later, Tyber Zann."

Tyber Zann was a smart man – he had not gotten to where he was by being a fool. Taking a deep breath, Tyber gave a confident yet respectful smile. "My apologies, Lord Diabolis. I did not survive so long by not shooting first at obviously dangerous strangers. Of course I will help you. Back at my palace on Ryloth, I have a massive databank of information. I'm sure it will help you. Please, come with me aboard my ship."

"No!"

All eyes turned to Silri. She glared at Tyber Zann. "Tyber Zann will have his ship spread with ysalamir nutria-frames. The little creatures suppress the force. Once he gets you on board, he'll kill you at the first chance he gets."

Lord Diabolis smiled at Tyber Zann. "Very interesting, Tyber Zann. Please, all I ask is to see the records of history. There is no need for such unpleasantness. How can I possibly hurt you with that knowledge?"

Tyber smiled again. "Knowledge is power, Lord Diabolis. None the less, I will take you with me. We will go together aboard the shuttle that brought Silri here. You and I and Urai Fenn and your apprentice and Silri will go to my base on Ryloth."

Darth Diabolis smiled again. "You'll understand if I don't trust you, Tyber Zann."

Silri watched as Tyber stood silently, trying to worm his way out of this situation he had dropped into. With a soothing purr, Silri said, "Come now, Tyber. Is it so hard to help? Aiding a Dark Lord of the Sith will come with many rewards."

Tyber resisted the urge to sneer. Instead he simply said, "That will be fine, my Lords. Come, let us go aboard and we can take you to Ryloth."

Darth Diabolis smiled and motioned for them to lead the way. They all filed up the ramp and into the shuttle. As the ship took off, Diabolis gazed at Silri, admiration the only emotion showing on his face. She stared at him and was shocked to feel almost a girlish shyness coming over her before she straightened and gazed levelly at him and smiled knowingly at him. "Is there something I can help you with, my Lord?" she all but purred.

Lord Diabolis shook his head with a small smile on his face, "Just allow me to bask in your presence and potential, my dear – in your beauty and your poise."

Silri tried, and failed, to maintain her Dathomiri pride. To be noticed by someone so powerful and to be seen as someone of great worth by him affected her. She had learned long ago that, while on Dathomir, woman and especially force adepts were greatly respected, in the rest of the galaxy, they were no greater than, and in some cultures, considered less than men. Again, she shook herself. She was a woman of the Nightsister Tribe of Dathomir and no man should bring such weakness from her.

As if reading her mind, Lord Diabolis smiled and said, "My dear Silri – please forgive me. I do not mean to make you feel weak nor to bring out weakness in you. I want to take a strong, powerful woman and to make her stronger and even more powerful."

Despite her best efforts, Silri could not keep the heat from filling her face – or the rest of her body. She stared at Diabolis in wonder. He was awakening something within her that no one had ever awakened in her before. She had heard this talked about by all of Zann's uncouth mercenaries but she had never experienced it. What did it mean? Once again, as if reading her mind, Diabolis stood and strode across and sat on the bench beside her. "I see in you what I have seen in precious few others, Silri. I see the flames of power – power that may be fostered and nurtured into true freedom in the force. Listen to my words, my dear; peace is a lie, there is only passion. Say it to me."

Silri felt herself entranced by the Sith Lord. She repeated his words in an awed and hushed tone. "Peace is a lie, there is only passion;"

Diabolis nodded and continued, "Through passion, I gain strength."

"Through passion, I gain strength." Repeated Silri.

"Through strength, I gain power." Lord Diabolis' voice grew in grandeur and Silri's in awe and reverence. "Through strength, I gain power."

"Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken"

Silri felt drawn as a magnet to the man before her. She repeated the words, barely speaking above a whisper. "Through power, I gain victory. Through victory, my chains are broken."

Lord Diabolis took her chin in a black gloved hand and finished the creed of the Sith. "The force will set me free."

Silri closed her eyes and breathed out the last line. "The force will set me free."

Lord Diabolis smiled down at her. "Let me show you how to set yourself free, my dear."

"Yes, my Lord."

Lord Diabolis released her and stood. "Then when we have the information and are returned to the mountain fortress, I will teach you first of _PASSION_."

At the word ' _PASSION_ ' and the way this dark lord said it, Silri felt her entire being blaze with that last thing she had ever expected: desire. In a voice barely above a whisper, she murmured, "I await the lesson eagerly, my lord – most eagerly."

He smiled and traced the line of her jaw with his finger. "As do I, my dear."

Darth Diabolis straightened. His apprentice had studiously ignored the conversation but Tyber Zann looked on in interest. The crime lord and the sith lord stared at each other, analyzing one another. Darth Diabolis smiled at the crime lord. Tyber Zann might prove to be a dangerous opponent. "Silri, I think you should go check on your rancor. Lord Heluquin, you and Urai Fenn should check on the pilots. I wish to speak to Tyber Zann alone."

Urai Fenn looked to Tyber Zann who nodded to him. Silri went to the hold while Darth Heluquin and Urai checked on the pilot. "What can I do for you, my lord?" asked Zann respectfully. Lord Diabolis went and sat across from him, resting his elbows on his knees and folding his gloved fingers and resting his chin on them. "Tyber Zann, I want you to know that I am grateful for your assistance and that I do not intend to be any threat or competition to you when I re-establish the Sith in the galaxy. In fact, considering that I have been in carbonite hibernation for the past four thousand years, I was hoping we could have a kind of partnership – strictly a business partnership. I will need weapons, armor, vehicles, ships and anything else that you would be willing to sell me. I have fifty thousand elite soldiers waiting to be released from carbonite and two hundred Dark Jedi acolytes as well as fifty Dark Jedi masters."

Tyber smiled at him and replied, "I would be happy to. I can sell you all that you need. But tell me, do you have the resources to pay? I am a business man after all and, even for a Sith Lord, I cannot reasonably be expect to cooperate for free. You could destroy me and take it but you would only get it in fragments, the gathering of which would take precious time."

Lord Diabolis smiled quite happily. "My former master Darth Revan left me a very large sum to fund a war against a great enemy. Perhaps when we get to Ryloth, we can discuss business together. I have plenty of credits, but I'm sure a man of your – line of work – would also be willing to do business for favors."

To his own surprise, Tyber Zann found that this idea was quite appealing. Not only would he make quite a large sum but he would also acquire the good will and debt of a Dark Lord of the Sith. Of course, only a fool would trust a Sith lord but Zann was good at reading people and this Sith Lord was not the same as those whom he had known about. Darth Diabolis seemed far more civilized – honorable even. Tyber would have to ask Urai about it first. The ancient warrior would have something to say and Tyber rarely went without asking his advice. To the Sith Lord, Tyber Zann said, "I think there is potential to this idea. We shall discuss it after I get you to my library and you get your necessary information. Normally, I would charge for something like that but, as a sign of faith in the potential of our new business venture, I will give you access free of charge. Does that sound reasonable, Lord Diabolis?"

The Dark Lord stood and proffered a black gloved hand. Tyber Zann stood and grasped it. Darth Diabolis foresaw a profitable partnership for all involved. He turned and was about to sit again before turning to Tyber and saying, "Oh and Crime Lord Zann, the Nightsisters of Dathomir – I would be much obliged if you would gather all of them on their home planet where I can address them. I wish to make them the offer I made Silri."

Tyber smiled slyly and said, "Not the same offer exactly, my Lord."

Lord Diabolis smiled his own sly smile and said, "Well no, Tyber Zann; not exactly the same offer but a similar one. They have so much untapped potential and I wish to show them this. Silri, however, is a very special case. She is magnificent, isn't she?"

Tyber Zann's lack of a comment made Darth Diabolis chuckle. "Yes, she gave me the impression that the two of you had a barely civil relationship even at the best of times. Ah, Tyber if you were born as I was, trained as I was, you would understand."

"Yes, we 'lesser beings' do to miss a lot, it would seem;" said Zann sarcastically. Lord Diabolis smiled and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Tyber Zann, forgive me. One's connection to the force does not make them greater. Your guile and ruthlessness is a match for mine and your sense of business and resourcefulness exceeds my own. I could not have done what you have in just six years. You have proven yourself powerful in your own right and way. If Darth Revan were here, he would do what ever it took to make you an ally. You are no lesser being, Tyber Zann. You are superior in so many ways even to me."

That caught Tyber off guard. A humble Sith lord was quite out of his reckoning. This Darth Revan must have been a different kind of Sith to teach his disciples to think in such a way. Up from the cockpit came Urai and Darth Heluquin. Lord Diabolis turned towards the cargo hold and said, "I will go and see if Silri will teach me the skill of communicating with those magnificent rancors. I'm sure that it will be useful in the future."

Silri sat and affectionately rubbed her rancors slimy snout, sitting upon her Sith robe for comfort. Using her mental link, she talked to the rancor. _Agroada, my pet, we have found a powerful ally - one who will bring the Nightsisters out of obscurity. Darth Diabolis will be a teacher to my sisters and I._

Rancors from Dathomir were semi-sentient, able to express minimal understanding and emotions, especially to the Witches of Dathomir. Agroada nuzzled her hand with a slimy nose and gave a low snort. Silri smiled at her large pet's understanding, little though it was. To herself alone, she wondered what else this Dark Lord of the Sith would be. She had felt the urge for intimacy before and it was simple to get one of Zann's weak minded mercenaries to give her what ever she wanted but with the Dark Lord, it was utterly different. It was one thing to desire pleasure and release, another utterly to desire a man himself. This was altogether new to her and she was unsure of how she would handle it. In the Nightsister tribe, if a man was desired, he was taken for as long as the woman desired and then sent back to where he came from. There was no mating for life, no commitment; but on Dathomir, women held all the power and men were a necessity, a resource to use and discard. Silri knew that it was not the same out in the greater galaxy. Was she willing to lower herself and to submit to the power of a man?

Suddenly, she felt his presents almost immediately behind her and she felt work-rough hands on her bare shoulders and it sent shivers down her spine. "My Lord?" she whispered, unable to move and not sure of what to do. His fingers began to gently, yet firmly, rub the tense muscles of her shoulders. She hadn't realized that her muscles were so tense. A low chuckle from behind her caused heat to pool within her core. "I understand that this must be difficult for you, Silri. From what you told me of your people, men are little more than resources and beings of labor."

Silri found it difficult to speak but she managed. "I admit that this idea of any man being an equal to me and especially superior is very foreign. It rebels against everything I was raised top believe."

The strong hands continued their work on her shoulder and slowly moved down her back, working every tense muscle to blissful relaxation. After several moments, Lord Diabolis said, "I understand. I remember when someone came into my life and utterly changed my beliefs and irrevocably altered my life. He taught me to fear nothing and to let nothing, not even vane prejudices, hold me back or slow me down."

Suddenly, Silri felt her pride burn and she whirled, yanking herself free of his hands. Standing tall and proud, she was about to speak haughtily when she saw the look of utter sincerity and understanding on Lord Diabolis' face. Before she could recover herself, the Dark Lord smiled gently and lowered his hands to his side. "It is not the way of the force to segregate men and women, Silri, anymore than humans, near humans and non-humans. No one is greater than the other simply for being so. I am not greater than you because I am male nor am I less than you for it. In the force, the only separating factor is our connection to the force and that is something that can be altered, improved. I do not wish to be a lord over you. I wish us to be equals in the force."

Silri spoke stiffly, "I did not think that the Sith believed in equality. I thought they believed themselves the masters of all they saw before them and that such mastery was their birthright."

Darth Diabolis shook his head. "That is how it was for many, many centuries - millennia in fact. But then Darth Revan taught us the truth of the matter. Darth Revan understood the nature of the force. He did not simply cling to the dark side as a desperate man clings to a blade for protection and throw up a mask that would be perceived as power. He embraced all aspects of the force and mastered all of it - light and dark. That is why he was the only rightful ruler. He ruled, not because he was greater but because her understood better than any the ways of the force."

Silri crossed her arms over her chest. "Yet he died - or at least I assume he died. He has not shown his face in the history that I know for over three thousand years."

To her surprise, a look of sadness and grief passed over Lord Diabolis' face. "Yes. My dear friend and mentor is dead. But death is a natural part of life. No matter how powerful they are, a master cannot become one with the force until they die. In the end, it is inevitable even for the most powerful of beings."

After several moments of silence, Diabolis turned to leave but Silri strode up and took his shoulder. "My lord, forgive me. I - I wish to learn from your wisdom, not to spurn it. I beg your pardon if I caused you pain."

The Dark Lord turned his startling yellow eyes back on her. "Like death, pain is also a natural part of life. It reminds us that we live and keeps us sharp and vigilant. You need not ask my pardon, my dear. I knew that my work would be cut out for me in training and teaching you. But, in point of fact, I came down here seeking your teaching. I wish to learn how to communicate with these great creatures."

Silri smiled with pleasure. The great Sith Lord wished her to teach him. "Surely, my lord, you know how to communicate with creatures and to empathize with them."

Almost bashfully, Lord Diabolis averted his gaze and said, "In truth, no. In the months leading up to my hibernation, I was focused on teaching young adepts the ways of the force that would aid us in battle. I was never taught the skill of beast mind, not even when I was a Jedi Knight on Dantooine."

"Then I shall teach you, my lord. It would be my honor and my pleasure."

Darth Diabolis smiled with pleasure and gratitude. "Thank you, my dear Silri."

 **Updated May 25, 2016**


	3. Chapter 3: A Memorable Flight

Mara woke feeling very refreshed yet very unsatisfied. After only a couple moments to clear her mind, she groaned. She had fallen asleep and blown their first and possibly last opportunity in months to sleep together. Just as Mara noticed that Luke wasn't in bed with her, the young Jedi strode into the cabin with a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair still wet and messy. Hungrily, Mara gazed at him before changing her face to a sultry pout. "Why didn't you wake me last night?"

Luke smiled and sat down beside her. "You just looked so peaceful. It would have broken my heart to wake you."

Mara's curly hair was in disarray and some of it covered half her face as she gazed at him ravenously. "Do I look peaceful now? Skywalker, I feel just like I did last night. I feel like there is a sosmic charge in me waiting to explode. Now, I would prefer that you would cause that particular explosion…"

Luke groaned, giving away that he felt the same way. Looking at the wall krono, Luke gauged the time. Zero-four-thirty. Chewing his lower lip, he looked at Mara and lifted an eyebrow. Taking that as a request, Mara quickly tackled him onto the floor, kissing him almost violently.

Between kisses, Luke managed, "I figure we have an hour or maybe an hour and a half before Katarn and Ors get here. Think that's enough time?"

Mara pulled back just a half a dozen centimeters, trying to widen her heavily lidded eyes. "You think you can last that long?"

Luke's intense blue eyes were dark with want as he whispered huskily, "Can you, Mara Jade?"

Mara's eyes did widen and with a ravenous moan, she attacked Luke's lips, kissing them and shoving her tongue deeply into his mouth, trying to work the towel off his waste while pressing her body hard against his. Luke was trying just as hard to work her shirt off. He was almost successful too when they both suddenly felt a powerful presence in the force. "Luke, we need to talk."

Both of them jumped. Luke held the towel over himself while Mara pulled the blanket off the bed to cover herself. As if he had come from the refresher, the ghostly apparition of Anikan Skywalker stood there, a question on his face. "What are you two doing?"

"Are you kriffing serious?" Luke roared at the spirit of his father. Anikan looked taken aback for a second and then he smiled, very embarrassed. "I'm sorry if I interrupted something but you both need to know this: a new danger has been awakened from long ago and I fear it is only the beginning. I'm not sure exactly what it is, so don't ask. Just be ready for the worst possible situation. That should cover whatever it is."

Luke and Mara looked at each other and then back at him. Mara sent Luke an irritable if heated thought. _Is he gonna leave soon? Times wasting, Farmboy._

Luke left it unanswered and focused back on his father. "Thank you, father. Can you make that any clearer?"

Anikan sighed and shook his head. "Unfortunately, I can't. I don't know myself."

Luke sighed and threw his arms into the air. "Well that's a big help. We'll keep an eye out and our senses alert. Thank you, father."

Anikan looked at the two of them and then sighed again and said, "I know you're going to be angry at me for this but; Mara, I need to speak to my son alone?"

Luke leaned back and groaned. Mara, remembering what Anikan Skywalker was like as Darth Vader, gave Luke a quick kiss and whispered, "Farmboy, the fate of the galaxy and all that – little more important than the two of us getting some alone time. I'll be in my cabin. Call me when he leaves."

Luke nodded soberly. Mara rapped the blanket around her body and strode out, giving Anikan a brief nod of respect. "You know, I still think she thinks of me as Darth Vader. You two seem to have gotten close sense Endor."

Luke smiled, rapped the towel more securely around himself as he stood and nodded. "Yes. She's absolutely incredible. Thank you for saving us back there – and thank's for bringing us the warning. We will stay vigilante."

Anikan nodded. "You are going to do great things, Luke – probably even greater than I did. Just be careful, okay? I wish I was still there in body to help but death is a part of life."

Luke smiled as his throat tightened and he felt a tear rolling down his cheek. Anikan smiled again and said, "I love you, my son. Take care of yourself and your sister. Take care of Jade too and she'll take care of you, I'm sure."

Luke smiled and said, "I – I love you too, father. I wish we had more time together while you were alive."

Anikan nodded and then faded. Luke sighed and then left the cabin. Using their mental link, Luke said to Mara, _Are you decent in there?_

An amused and rather heated reply came back. _Why don't you come in here and find out._

Luke slapped the door panel and smiled at what he saw inside. Mara was just finishing putting her various belongings into the storage compartments, her back to Luke. She wore a thin, red, shimmer-silk robe. Luke walked up behind her and put his arms around her with a contented sigh. Mara leaned her head back against the crook of his neck, smiling and with her eyes closed. Luke kissed her neck and murmured, "You really are beautiful, Mara."

Mara turned around in his arms and said, "And you really are sweet, Luke. You're not bad looking either."

Luke kissed her tenderly, none of the hunger and desire in it – only affection and deep caring. Mara wrapped her arms are his neck and pressed her body against his. The kiss that started so tender quickly became ravenous and filled with desire. Suddenly, Mara pushed him away and, with an alluring, knowing smile, untied the sash of her robe and let it drop. She was no longer wearing the gray under shirt and panties. She had changed into a black and silky set of lingerie. It covered just enough and yet showed enough to tease the eye. Luke's blue eyes were almost too wide for his head and Mara stepped back towards her bunk, using her left index finger to beckon him seductively. Luke followed quickly and wrapped her in his arms again, kissing her deeply as his hands slid down over the silky top – and then slid under it, relishing the soft feel of her skin. She shivered in his arms, savoring the sensation of his rough and callused hand on her skin – the left hand. The right was smooth and flawless. Slowly, they began to travel forward towards the front of her body. To allow him easier access, she turned around, pressing her back against him and still kissing him as his hands traveled from his hips to her slim waist and up over her flat stomach. She moaned slightly and teased his lips with her tongue. Luke's lips separated slightly, allowing Mara's to enter. His hands eased gently up over her generous breasts as their tongues met and Mara gave another moan. In his head, Luke heard her say, _Stars, Luke! How do you do that to me?_

Luke separated and looked into her heavily lidded green eyes. _Do what to you? What am I doing to you, Mara?_

Mara smiled. Opening their link further, she sent Luke the feelings and sensations that went up and down her body and emotions when his hands touched her, especially in the more intimate areas of her body.

Luke's breathing was getting heavier and heavier. Out loud, he managed, "Well then let me keep doing it to you. I would hate to deprive you."

Mara turned and pressed him against the wall of her cabin, one hand wrapping around his head and tangling in his messy hair while the other rested on his left hand as it moved, torturously slow up her body, brushing lightly and slowly over her ribs. Again, Mara moaned and gasped as his hands gently cupped her generous breasts. This time, two thumbs rubbed against her rosy nipples and Mara keened. Her own discipline and control greatly strained, Mara removed her hands from Luke and went to the bottom of her top. She was about to raise it when her comlink chimed. Luke froze, his hands still on her breasts and one of her nipples between his thumb and forefinger. Mara took several deep breaths and counted to ten before saying, "That will be Ors and Katarn saying they're on their way."

Luke sighed in disappointment and used his right hand to call the comlink to her. His left hand stayed where it was. Mara cleared her throat and said, "Lieutenant Jade."

"Hey Jade, it's Kyle. We're on our way and we'll need to get in and stow our gear;" said the voice of Kyle Katarn. Mara said, "You got it. We'll open up the boarding hatch."

Luke's left hand was still caressing, kneading and his fingers still teased her. He was surprised she was able to keep a calm voice. The comlink shut off and Mara spun around and kissed him hotly, using a hand to wrench the towel away and then grab his hard, hot arousal. Luke's entire body tensed as she slowly began to stroke. After a moment, Mara separated and whispered, "Do you think we can do this in the five minutes it takes them to get here?"

As much as Luke wanted to say, 'hell yeah, let's go for it' he didn't want their first time to be a quick, five minute kriffing. "We could, Mara but I just don't want it to be like that – our... um… first time, I mean."

Mara smiled understandingly and let go. She kissed him again – all tenderness, care and affection. "That's one of the things I love about you, Luke. Even when you're telling me 'no' I can't help but agree with you;" she whispered. They separated and Mara crossed her arms, waiting for him to leave with a smirk. Luke sighed, chuckled and turned to leave, only to have Mara swat at his bare butt. He turned, his eyes still burning. After a moment, he groaned and headed to the captain's quarters. There, he got dressed in a pair of dark gray cargo pants, a black shirt and a pair of black boots. On his utility belt, he holstered a modified DL-44 Blaster Pistol and also placed an old DC-17 commando hold out blaster. Out of habit, he was about to clip his lightsaber but then remembered that he couldn't carry it on this mission – not in one piece anyway. He sent a quick thought to Mara. _Don't forget that we can't bring our lightsabers in one piece. We'll need to think of a convincing, inconspicuous way to bring them along._

After just a moment, Mara sent an acknowledging thought. _Good thinking, Farmboy. I was just going to say we leave them._

Luke smiled. Of course she realized they couldn't bring their lightsabers. After he was satisfied that he looked like a freighter captain from the fringe and not a soldier or Jedi, he ran to the boarding ramp and opened the hatch. Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors stood there, both in clothes that one would not expect to see anywhere near a military organization or unit. With a couple of muttered 'good mornings' they all hustled to the cabins and Jan and Kyle each picked one. Luke went to the cockpit and started up the systems and went through pre-flight. Just before he lifted off, the two astromech droids R2-D2 and R3-L9 rolled up the ramp, tweetling, whistling and chirping together happily. Mara came out of her cabin just then and chuckled. "Well aren't they friendly. I thought you two hated each other."

The two droids whistled together, denying that they ever hated each other. Slowly the ship lifted off the ground. After hanger control cleared them, they left the hanger and quickly jumped to hyperspace. Luke went to the galley and threw together a huge breakfast – nerf sausage, eggs, flat cakes and so on. As soon as Mara went to the galley to satisfy her curiosity, she laughed in amusement and delight. "Oh Farmboy."

She kissed him affectionately and took the plate that he offered her. Jan and Kyle took plates too and they all four sat down to breakfast. After the other three had eaten some and praised his cooking, Luke took a few bites himself. He looked at his three companions and said, "Alright, we have about three days to come up with a decent plan along with a back story that the Naboo Royal Security Forces and any thugs from the Zann Consortium will buy. Any ideas?"

Mara swallowed the food in her mouth and said, "We could be smugglers looking for a job. The Zann Consortium would probably try to contract us themselves."

Kyle shook his head. "I don't think that's a good idea. The Naboo aren't too fond of smugglers. It would probably be more prudent to be independent shippers looking for an honest job. That way, we can avoid the Zann Consortium except on our terms and the RNSF won't bother us either so long as we keep our noses clean."

Jan nodded and she sipped a cup of caff and Mara agreed. "Not a bad plan, Katarn. We are gonna need to be careful what weapons we bring. If we want to play at law abiding citizens, we will need to be armed like them. That means that you need to leave that oversized hand cannon here on the ship, Katarn."

Kyle chuckled and patted the bryor pistol his father had given him with fondness. "Alright but what about lightsabers? How will you slip those in?"

Luke said, "Simple, we pull them apart a little and then hide them in different places on our person. If anyone asks, their tools that we like to have with us just in case."

Luke nodded to her before saying them. "I'm new to this whole intel thing. How do we go about inquiring about the Zann Consortium without being really obvious about it?"

Mara finished her last bite of breakfast before leaning back, still sipping on her cup of caff. "Simple. We ask about work. We ask about companies and organizations and other freighter pilots and so on. We also ask about the political environment real innocent like."

Jan smiled, warming more and more to the plan they were making. "We should keep the gungans in mind too. I read several reports where locals overthrew the government and set up a puppet dictator for the Zann Consortium."

They all nodded but Mara started to chuckle. "Gungans. That would make this so much easier if the gungans were our only problem."

Kyle lifted a finger. "Not so fast, Jade. Those gungans are warriors. They may be less advanced than the Naboo or than we are but they're still warriors to be reckoned with."

Mara sobered a little but then shrugged. She wasn't worried about it. "So we find out who the leaders and Defilers are and we eliminate them or try to capture them, right? That shouldn't be too hard. Defilers ware that really ugly armor. They shouldn't be hard to pick out of a crowd."

Luke swallowed another mouthful of food before answering, "Apparently the Defilers tend to either disguise themselves or stay in hiding if they aren't operating – which, in turn, makes it hard to find or distinguish. We will need to do something to cause them to come out of hiding or reveal themselves. Any thoughts on that?"

Kyle shrugged as he stood and brought his plate to the dish recycling unit. "We can just start causing mayhem in the areas that are obviously the Zann Consortium's property. I hear that they set up several clubs, casinos and underground pit fighting areas. If we were to raze those, the Defilers would definitely come out with a full force of mercenaries."

Luke finished his last bights of food and gulped down the juice he had been drinking. Mara chuckled and shook her head at him. After the last drop passed his lips, he said, "We're going to need help of some kind if we're going to take on the whole occupying force of mercenaries. Do you think we could clue in the RNSF?"

Jan looked doubtful. "They could quite likely be involved in the whole thing. Wouldn't it be better to do it ourselves?"

They were silent for a while. Luke scratched his head and contemplated before standing up and gathering dishes. Mara stood to help him. Together, they loaded the dish recycling unit and Mara asked, "What do you think, Luke?"

Luke sighed and shook his head. "I can't read groups of people without meeting each of them individually. I can't say whether we can trust the RNSF or not but it would be prudent to plan as if we are on our own and hopefully be pleasantly surprised. The first thing we need to do is figure out the whole situation on Naboo is but that's when we land. We have something to take care of now."

Mara smiled and rubbed her hands together almost gleefully. "Fake identities and cover stories, am I right? This was always my favorite part of operational preparation. R3 actually has a ID printing device with blank datachips inside. Can I make yours, Farmboy?"

Luke hesitated and looked at her gauging. Mara made a sweet smile and batted her eyelashes. "We'll have to see. The cover stories do need to match."

Mara beamed and winked at him. "Don't worry. I have it all figured out."

Once again, they sat at the table, sipping on caff or stim tea. After just a few minutes, Mara cleared her throat and said, "Okay so here's the story: We are a crew of independent cargo freighters. Luke, you are the pilot/captain of our little business. Your name, if you don't mind, is Owen Lars. That won't be too hard will it?"

Luke smiled at her anxious look and said, "No. I like it actually. What's my back story?"

Mara smiled in relief. She didn't want to dredge up memories but it was a common enough name that it wouldn't be conspicuous. "Okay. Your family lived on a farm on Dantooine and have been saving money to send you to some sort of academy or university. Well in your first chance to experience the bigger galaxy, you nearly blew it but managed to pull your head out of your butt long enough to barely pass the necessary exams and were licensed by the Empire as a ship's captain and also had a shipping permit. Jan, you're his older sister who insisted that you didn't need to go to school or anything so long as your kid-brother got to go. You worked to make extra money at a star ship maintenance hanger in Khoonda city not too far from the family farm. Your name will be Neena Lars. At the maintenance shop, you met Kyle, alias Den Largo. He was the youngest son of the shop's owner. You got engaged together. Now me, I am an only child who's father always had on his knee while he conducted business. I own the ship because my father left it to me when he died. My name will be Arica Nen and I'm Owen's girlfriend. We all got together in Khoonda City and struck this business deal to go out and start our private shipping company - beginning with just the four of us and one YT-2000 light freighter. How does that all sound?"

The others were nodding their heads. It sounded good. Luke, thinking of any holes that might come up, began asking questions. "Why such a heavily armed ship?"

Mara pursed her lips and thought about it for a couple seconds. Finally, she said, "Because this was the ship Daddy used to haul the most expensive or rare or highest priority cargo. It was also his favorite."

Jan snickered and Kyle cocked an eyebrow. "Daddy?"

Mara blushed slightly. "I'm just getting into character. Don't laugh."

Luke's face broke into a small smile. "Okay why the weapons storage room?"

Mara shook her head. "No one needs to know about that. I was checking it out. It's lined with scanner proof alloys that will blend in to the rest of the hold. No need for an explanation."

Again, they all nodded. Mara smiled a little smugly and said, "Okay, character profiles: Luke, you don't have to act too much. You just need to know the ins and outs of a student of the University on Bothawai and a nerf rancher on Dantooine. Other than that, you can just be yourself. Kyle, you need to get familiar with this and any other starship you can think of that would be commonly seen going in and out of any spaceport. Bulk freighters, heavy transports, light freighters, shuttles, yachts - anything else like that. Good news is, they aren't so terribly different so it shouldn't be too hard. Jan you do the same. Remember, you're an overprotective big sister to Luke, always looking out for him, maybe a little bossy, kind of like a second mother."

Jan chuckled and ruffled Luke's sandy blonde hair. "Behave yourself, baby brother."

Mara laughed. "Perfect. Luke, you like Dren Largo over there but you are also a little protective of your older sister which drives her kinda crazy. Basically, imagine how you feel knowing Leia is dating Han Solo - well sort of dating Solo anyway."

Luke chuckled to himself and shook his head. "Maybe I should tell you two to behave then?"

Mara sat up a little straighter, looking a little prim and she changed her voice to a high Imperial accent. "Since my father based his business out of Corescant, I'm going to be a little higher in the social class, not haughty though or arrogant, just a little more cultured. I'm also a bit of a tomboy, hence I'm running around the galaxy with a group of fringers, no offense."

She winked at them. Luke nodded and stood and stretched. "Alright. Sounds like a solid cover. R3 can make us those identicards and we can start easing ourselves into our rolls. It's a four day flight to Naboo so let's get to it. I don't suppose we can print out files on each of us to study, could we?"

Mara thought about it for a second. "No but one thing my intelligence instructor taught me was to write a file on the person I was. I think it's a good idea. Any other questions?"

They all shook their heads. Luke nodded. "Good. Let's get to it then. Mara you and I should find a way to disassemble our lightsabers and hide them on our person so that they are easily accessible but not to easily found."

They all got up and put their empty cups in the galley sink. Luke went up to the cockpit with Mara and they pulled their lightsabers apart. Soon they had four major pieces in their laps. "Now to hide them." muttered Luke. Mara, who had done this many times, hung the rear grip and back part to her belt. "Doing it like this makes it look like a droid caller or comlink or other small piece of equipment."

Luke nodded and hung his up too. The other pieces, she just slipped into her packets. "If anyone asks, their just pieces and parts of ship tech that we forgot were in our pockets. Usually people don't ask though." she said. Luke nodded and did the same. After a few moments of silence, Luke said, "So I think I won't shave for awhile and let myself get good and scruffy. What do you think?"

Mara nodded. "You should get a haircut too and dye it darker like Jan's."

Luke agreed. "Good point. Do you think outfits like this are okay?"

Mara smiled and said, "Not sure. Stand up and let me see, Farmboy. Oh," and her smile got a little bigger, "I just realized I still get to call you that, just in a Corescant accent."

Luke laughed at her apparent glee and stood up. She waved her finger in a circular motion and he spun. "That should do just fine."

Satisfied that he could dress himself appropriately, Luke sat down and asked, "Okay so what will you be wearing on this mission? You're a little higher class so the more common spacer clothes won't necessarily work. Neither will those jumpsuits and body suits you seem to like."

Mara stood and said, "I'll be back. Let me see what I brought with me."

She walked back, patting his shoulder affectionately as she passed by. Luke stared into the blue tunnel of hyperspace as he contemplated the mission. It was going to be tough. They would begin by asking around about jobs that they could do for smaller companies or businesses. From what Luke understood, the Zann Consortium basically controlled all shipping business on and off the planet so they would probably make it hard for Luke and his crew. Luke didn't mind that, it would probably help give them an idea of what they were dealing with. Hopefully, when they were ready to make their move, Luke and his crew would be able to get RNSF in on it so that it wouldn't be four against an entire garrison of mercenaries. His mind continued along these lines for some time, trying to think of plans and ideas and contingencies that would help them. Suddenly, a small hand patted his shoulder again. Turning, Luke saw Mara wearing a green tunic, pants and a pair of black boots. Her golden-red hair was in a stylish braid and she wore a necklace and two bracelets on her left hand. She looked utterly breathtaking to him. "You look amazing, Mara."

She leaned down and kissed him before sitting in her seat. They made small talk after that, discussing the ship, the Alliance, and everything else when suddenly, some rather awkward, intimate noises came from the cabins. It was only a moment before they determined what it was. "Oh, Kyle! OH! Do that again. Yes, oh YES!"

Luke shoved his gloved right hand into his mouth to keep from laughing and Mara groaned. "Not again!" and covered her ears. After he managed to gain control of himself, Luke hit the intercom switch and said, "This is Colonel Skywalker to the crew, asking that if extra curricular activities are being conducted, they are done behind CLOSED DOORS so that the remainder of the crew doesn't have to hear it. Thank you for your consideration."

The noises had stopped and they both faintly heard a hatch hiss shut. To block the sound even more, Mara used the force to shut the cockpit door as well. Luke was shaking his head, blushing and chuckling. "Wow. That was..."

He just kept shaking his head. Mara looked slightly flustered. "That is so horribly awkward. Why do they insist on doing that with the hatches wide open? On the _Moldy Crow_ they didn't even have hatches on their cabins."

Luke smiled sympathetically. "You know, the Alliance has psychiatric help for soldiers and pilots. You might want to look into it."

Mara burst out laughing. "Well you're a Jedi aren't you? Doesn't that come with the whole Jedi thing? Besides, no one knows me like you do."

Crossing his legs, Luke asked in an official, soothing voice, "Tell me, Lieutenant Jade, how does hearing Kyle Katarn and Jan Ors kriffing each other senseless make you feel?"

Mara gave him a sideways glance, her emerald eyes suddenly ablaze. "Do you really want to know, Doctor Skywalker?" she asked, her naturally husky voice even more so.

Luke was slightly taken aback. He wasn't expecting that, though he knew he probably should have. Their forced celibacy was just as hard on him. Mara stood and slipped into his lap, kissing his lips gently, tenderly. Luke wrapped his arms around her and accepted her gladly. After a few moments of tender kisses, Luke leaned his head against her shoulder and neck and she leaned hers against his forehead, sighing contentedly. They sat together, gazing into the beautiful blue tunnel outside the front viewport and slowly drifting off to sleep.

Luke and Mara jolted to wakefulness as the freighter was ripped out of hyperspace. Out the front viewport and off the port side were a half a dozen ships. They bore no special markings but Luke had an inkling that they were pirates contracted by the Zann Consortium. The four Interceptor-Class Escort frigates, the Crusader-Class pursuit Corvette and the obviously stolen Imperial Immobilizer-Class 418 Cruiser gave it away. The 418 Interdictor's gravity well generators had ripped them out of hyperspace. Luckily, the freighter's hyperdrive had an emergency automatic deactivator to prevent damage. Mara cursed and jumped to the co-pilot's seat. "Oh hell! I knew things were going too well."

Luke hit the intercom and said, "Kyle, Jan get to the quad guns and get ready to fight. We have Consortium ships - four Interceptor frigates, a Crusader and an Interdictor. They'll be launching Viper Interceptors, Skipray Blastboats and some of those hyped up Rihkxyrk Assault fighters any second too."

He grabbed the yoke and turned the ship away as best as he could. "Mara, how far till we're out of the gravity wells?"

Mara was shaking her head. "We are smack in the middle of them, Luke. I don't think we'll be able to get through unless we blow past them."

Luke cursed harshly. "Then right through them we'll go. Kyle, Jan, the guns?"

"Ready, Luke. I got the ventral gun." said Jan

"And I got the dorsal gun." growled Kyle. Jan snickered and said, "You always do like being on top."

Luke smiled but still barked into the comms unit, "Lock it up, you two. Save that for later."

Luke angled the deflector shields full front and powered up the two forward cannons located under the cockpit.

On the comms unit, a voice haled them from the pirates. "Attention unidentified freighter: it seems that you don't have any cargo worth mentioning. Regardless, power down and prepare to be boarded."

Luke chuckled mirthlessly. "Not on your life. You want this ship, you'll have to catch it."

He deactivated the comms unit and readied the gun. Mara took control of the Ion cannon mounted above the cockpit. To their surprise, the pirates also had a squadron of TIE Defenders - a more advanced fighter with concussion missiles, ion cannons and shields. The enemy fighters screamed through space towards them. Mara communicated with Luke through their mental link, _Blow right through them, Luke. Don't turn to either side, just plow into any in the way._

Luke nodded. Squeezing the trigger, Luke blasted apart three enemy fighters and bolts of energy blazed from the quad guns as well. As Mara said, Luke pounded right through them, avoiding laser fire, ion blasts and missiles with the skill of an expert and force sensitive pilot. The Viper Interceptors released clusters of buzz droids but Mara blasted at them with the ion cannons before any had the chance to attach. "Kyle, Jan, brace yourselves. I'm going for the Interdictor."

Kyle's voice came back over the comms, "WHAT? Their are five other ships there and that Crusader will tear us apart!"

Luke smiled grimly. "Oh no it won't, Kyle. Trust me, we'll blow right through them. When they have those gravity well generators on, the Interdictor ships have most of their power allocated to the generators. They have no shields, no weapons, just the generators and life support. We'll blow the generators and make the jump to hyperspace."

Kyle grunted. "Blast, Luke! I hope you know what you're doing."

Luke didn't respond as he coolly blew away two more enemy ships. The Crusader-class corvette sped towards them. "Kyle, Jan, focus on the fighters behind us. I'll worry about the corvette."

Increasing speed, Luke deftly avoided the fire from both the Crusader and the pursuing fighters. Using the link in their minds, Luke said to Mara _We need to time this perfectly. You'll fire first which will put small breaches in their shields. If timed right, I should be able to take out a couple of their guns if nothing else._

Mara sent him a wordless acknowledgement and, as soon as the corvette was in range, they opened fire, using their link and the force to time their fire perfectly. They managed to destroy four of the guns as they blasted past the Crusader. Despite Luke's skill, they still took a couple hits do to the sheer volume of fire. Several warning alarms went off. "Kriff! Luke, we're losing the deflector shields and I know we have some haul damage."

Luke cursed again. "Damn it! Han's gonna kill me when he finds out I damaged this ship after he and the guys worked so hard on it."

"We're in range. Fire the torpedoes, Luke."

Luke fired four proton torpedoes, using the force as his guide instead of the targeting computer. Within moments, four gouts of fire sprung from the Interdictor and Mara whooped. "Yaaahooo! Direct hits, all four and the gravity wells are gone. Make the jump when you're ready, Farmboy!"

Luke spun between the two center Interceptor Frigates, blasted over the Interdictor and then pulled the hyperdrive levers and once again, the stars turned to lines and those lines turned into the beautiful blue tunnel of hyperspace.

Luke and Mara breathed a simultaneous sigh of relief and grinned at each other. "Well that was fun." Commented Mara. Luke nodded. "Sure was. I hope we have clear space for the rest of the trip."

Turning the intercom back on, Luke said, "Great shooting, Kyle, Jan. You can go back to what you were doing just please remember to shut the hatch. PLEASE!"

Mara stood up and said, "I need a drink and a snack. Want a ration bar, Luke?"

Luke nodded. "Please and thanks."

Mara left the cockpit. Only a second or so later, Luke heard her cursing again. "Kriffing hell, you two! Luke did you know those to nerf brains were in your gun wells stark-kriffing-naked?"

Kyle stammered, "He didn't give us time to get dressed!"

"Unbelievable." Mara grumbled as she entered the cockpit again. She tossed Luke the ration bar, plopped down into her seat and rubbed her temples. "You have got to set some rules about that."

Luke just laughed.

 **Updated May 25, 2016**


	4. Chapter 4: An Interesting Development

Luke woke slowly and checked the wall krono. They would be arriving on Naboo within a couple hours. Smiling, he looked down at the red hair that was splayed across his bare chest. Do to their lack of comfort with intimacy in close proximity with another couple, they hadn't been able to have sex but, with the exception of having different watches in the cockpit, they were still able to curl up and sleep together. Mara gave a soft little moan and looked up at him. "Time?" She murmured sleepily. Luke ran his fingers through her rich golden-red hair and said, "Sixteen-hundred local time. We'll be landing in about an hour."

Mara grunted and rolled over to swing her legs over the side of the bed. Luke sat up and stretched with a massive yawn. "I am not a morning person, Luke. Why do we have to be up so early?" Muttered Mara. Luke laughed and gently prodded a spot under her ribs as he said, "Well we do have to get up some time, Mara and it would look better if we were alert and fresh when we go into the city of Theed, right?"

Mara wriggled away from him, swatting his hand and giggling. "Stop it, you nerf! Fine, fine I'm getting up."

Rather than cease his attack, Luke pursued her, tickling her even more until she began making dire threats of violence against him between giggles. When Luke had stopped and she had regained control of herself, Mara tried, and failed, to glare at him. "I absolutely hate it when you do that, you know."

Luke chuckled and said, "Sorry;" not the least bit contrite. He loved to hear Mara laugh and the feel of her soft skin. Besides, in her dazzling emerald eyes was always a look telling that, rather than hating it, it always seemed to stir her up. Apparently, this time was no exception. Her not-quite glaring features changed and she languidly stepped up and slipped into his lap, her legs straddling his hips. In a low, sultry voice, she whispered, "Skywalker, you already drive me up a wall just by being your noble, earnest, insufferably handsome, farm boy self. When you touch me, it makes it worse and when you touch me like that - skin on skin, causing all those little sensations – well it just makes it down right unbearable."

Luke was beginning to feel the same way. Her bare legs wrapped around his equally bare waste and her pelvis pressed firmly against his manhood was impossible to ignore. To show that she was fully aware of this, she wriggled slightly. She was only wearing a thin, short white tank top that left very, VERY little to Luke's overactive imagination and a pair very small, tight shorts. Luke simply wore his under shorts so it felt like they were wearing nothing and that only made it worse. Mara wrapped her arms around his neck and ran one of her hands through his now-short, dark brown hair and wriggled again more viciously. Luke couldn't keep from uttering a groan. Mara smiled wickedly, leaned in and whispered in the most suggestive, sexual voice she could, "See? Now we both get to suffer."

With a laughed, she jumped up and walked out, her hips swinging. Luke laid back on the bed and groaned. "I deserved that."

After a couple seconds to let himself calm down, he got dressed, wearing an outfit that would blend in around any space port in the galaxy. He buckled on his blasters and concealed his lightsaber components and went to the galley. Starting the caff and stim tea brewing, Luke hummed a song to himself. Mara joined him shortly there after, grinning wickedly at him again. "How are you feeling, Farmboy?"

Luke sighed and shook his head. "I deserved that. I won't tickle you anymore."

Mara shook her head. "Just make sure that if you do, you are ready to deal with the consequences or results. Mind tossing me a ration bar?"

Luke pulled out four different flavors and displayed them for her to pick through. Jan and Kyle came in, yawning and Luke tossed them each a bar before taking the last for himself. As he chewed, he said, "We land in less than an hour. As soon as we do, we are going to a bar or cantina or something and asking around about work. I don't need to tell you to be inconspicuous."

They nodded and Luke and Mara went up to the cockpit. Luke noted the time and said, "Dropping out of hyperspace in fifteen minutes. Any helpful last minute hints from our expert spy and intel operative?"

Mara nodded and said in her Corescant accent, "Yes. Just remember who we are and why we're here, Owen. It should all be fine after that."

She reached across and patted his hand. Luke smiled and said, "Thanks for the tip, Arica."

Shortly after, they dropped out of hyperspace and looked down on a beautiful green and blue planet. Kyle and Jan joined them and Luke angled the freighter downward. Before long, a pair of N1-5 Royal Naboo Starfighters that were on patrol changed their flight path and flew towards them. The comms unit chimed and when Mara activated it, a pleasant masculine voice haled them. "Attention unidentified freighter, this is Lieutenant Sask of the Royal Naboo Security Forces, please identify yourselves and state your purpose for visiting Naboo."

Mara gave Luke a sidelong look. "You really need to come up with a name for this ship, Luke."

Luke chuckled and keyed the comms. "Lieutenant Sask, this is Captain Owen Lars of the good ship _Krayt Pearl_ we're here looking for an opportunity to haul cargo for anyone willing to pay."

The comms were silent for a moment and when the pleasant voice came back, it had turned icy cold. "Understood, _Krayt Pearl._ I'd be careful if I were you. We don't look kindly on smugglers here on Naboo. Proceed to docking bay Cresh-13 and land. Do not deviate from your present course from here to there and get ready for customs to receive you."

Luke smiled at his companions and keyed back, "Understood, Lieutenant."

The twin silver and yellow fighters stayed slightly behind and to the right and left until they entered atmosphere where the escort was relieved by a pair of silver and blue NX-5 Police Interceptors who covered them all the way to the docking bay. Luke gave a low whistle. "Those were some sleek fighters, there. I wouldn't mind getting behind the stick of one of those. Stang! They were pretty fast too."

As soon as their landing struts were on the ground and the boarding ramp was down, a half dozen Naboo Police Officers strode right up to the ramp. The man in charge cleared his throat and said in a rather nasally voice, "Welcome to Naboo, Captain Lars. Are you here for business or pleasure, sir?"

Luke looked around wide-eyed at the architecture as he answered, "Business, sir. We're an independent freighter crew trying to find work. I don't suppose you could help us with that could you?"

At the words 'independent freighter crew' the nasally officer's face darkened. "That is not my job, Captain. I'm just here to make sure that you don't have illegal contraband. These men will search your ship and any contraband found will be confiscated or you will be escorted off planet. Do you understand, Captain?"

Luke lifted his hands in a placating way and said, "Of course, sir. We don't want any trouble. We just want to make an honest living however we can and maybe grow our business a little."

The officer sneered, "Can smugglers make an honest days living, Captain?"

Luke sighed and asked Kyle, "Why does everyone think that we're smugglers?"

Kyle chuckled and Luke turned back to the officer. "Sir, we aren't smugglers. Any smuggler with half a regular sized brain knows to stay away from Naboo. We are here to find only legal, legitimate work – food stuffs, spare parts, energy cells and the like for perfectly honest companies."

The officer looked a little skeptical but still had the good grace to say, "I apologize, Captain. Whenever we hear the words 'independent freighter crew', we automatically think smugglers. It's a commonly used euphemism."

Luke waved aside the apology. "It's no problem, sir. We had the same reception on Dac when we last visited there."

The other security officers came down and said, "The ship is clean, sir. Only thing in the cargo hold are ship parts and extra supplies."

The officer in charge nodded and said, "You are free to go, Captain Lars. I apologize again for the assumption."

Luke waved it away again and said, "Nah, don't worry about it, officer. It happens all the time. Listen, where do you think we could go to learn about some work that can be done? Anything, large or small, will do."

The officer frowned and leaned in close, murmuring to Luke. "I'd be careful where you ask around. There is a large company in the area and they have no qualms about knocking off the competition. Rumors are they are tied to the Zann Consortium. Kriff that, they ARE tied to the Zann Consortium – the mercs and pilots don't even bother to hide it anymore. I would take care, Captain."

Luke adopted a very serious look and nodded. "Thanks for the warning officer. We'll be especially careful."

The security officers moved away and Luke and his friends huddled. Kyle murmured, "Well it sounds like getting their attention won't be hard. Getting information before we do is the real tough part of this mission."

Mara nodded. "Yup. I suggest we start at one of the nicer local places and just innocently ask questions about businesses that need a shipment delivered or picked up. After the Empire was kicked off of Naboo, I'm sure a lot of smaller businesses are anxious to get back up on their feet again. Hell, even the larger ones might be willing to look for help wherever they can get it."

They all nodded and headed out into the port. As they made there way through the city, looking for a place to have a meal and ask around, they noticed that there were armed soldiers aside from the local law enforcement and security. They wore body armor and carried disrupter rifles or grenade launchers. It quickly became clear that the RNSF officers and troopers did not like the mercenaries in their midst. Across their mental link, Mara said to Luke, _Well look at that. We may have some allies in this after all._

Luke sent back, _Perhaps but just because the active soldiers, officers and guards are unhappy doesn't mean that their superiors are of the same mind. Still it's a good thing to keep in the back of our minds._

They came to a restaurant owned by a portly man and his plump little wife. Their two daughters and two sons also worked their and it was only a moment before Luke, Mara, Kyle and Jan were sitting down looking at the menus. As she perused the wine selection, Mara sent a thought to Luke, _That oldest daughter sure seems to have eyes for you, Farmboy. Should I be worried? She seemed to be trying to flash some cleavage at you when she served you your drink._

Luke managed to not chuckle as he looked over the meal selections. He sent back, _Of course not. There is no competition whatsoever between her and you. She may be a pretty enough but you are without a doubt much more beautiful._

To his surprise, Mara actually blushed. The others didn't notice though. Luke had to bite down on his tongue to keep form smiling. _I've told you that you're beautiful before and it never made you blush like that._

Mara switched over to the food section of the menu and uttered a "hmmm..." as she looked through it. In her mind, she said _Luke when you say I'm beautiful while I'm naked or nearly so in front of you, it's not the same as when you say I'm beautiful in every day clothes._

Luke contemplated that as he set the menu down. He knew what he was going to get. _But you have to know you're beautiful. You do look in a mirror, don't you?_

Mara had also decided what she wanted to eat so she set her menu down as well and when the waitress came back, Mara smiled sweetly and took Luke's callused left hand and rubbed her thumb across knuckles affectionately. The waitress blushed and didn't try to get Luke's attention anymore. They all placed their orders before Mara finally answered. _It's not the same. I know a lot of men think I'm beautiful but you're the only one who actually makes me feel beautiful._

Luke smiled and looked into her green eyes. Mara gazed right back. Kyle and Jan both started clearing their throats obnoxiously. "'Scuse us. Control to Arica and Owen. You reading me?" Said Kyle.

Mara glared at him. "You two have no room to comment. How many times did Owen have to tell you to shut the force-forsaken hatches?"

She sounded very severe in her Corescant accent and it caused Jan to blush and Kyle muttered, "The _Crow_ doesn't even have hatches on its cabin so we're not used to it."

Luke just laughed. They bantered and talked until their food arrived. As they ate, a pair of uniformed officers strode up to their table. Luke swallowed his mouthful of food and smiled politely before asking, "How can we help you this evening, officers?"

One of them handed him a datacard and said, "Actually, we heard you are looking for cargo to carry and thought that you and the RNSF can help each other. That card gives you access to the royal hanger. In an hour or so, the Marshal Commander of the RNSF, Gavin Sykes would like a word with you about a possible job if you don't mind."

Luke beamed at the officer. "Thank you so much, sir! We thought we would have to look for days or weeks before out first job."

The officer smiled and said, "Don't let anyone else have that card. If it isn't the four of you who enter, then whoever it is will be blasted. This is for the Royal Hanger and we can't afford to take chances. Understood?"

Luke nodded. "Understood. Thank you again, sir."

The officers left and Luke looked down at the card. Mara was a little more suspicious than he was. "That could very well be a trap, you know. What are the odds that two officers approach us just over and hour after we land?"

Luke just grinned and pocketed the card. "As Han Solo would say, 'never tell me the odds.' Besides, I didn't sense any deceit in them. Did you?"

She shook her head but still seemed uneasy. They quickly finished eating and then rented a speeder, heading towards the royal palace and the hanger attached to it. They noticed that every kilometer or so was a RNSF speeder of some kind with guards sitting in it. They also noticed a pair of the NX-5 Police Interceptors flying overhead. Luke chuckled. "These guys aren't any slouches when it comes to security, I have to say."

Mara nodded, "Well after the Battle for Naboo way back when and the Clone Wars, not to mention the Imperials constantly messing things up, I'm not surprised. With every crisis, they did their best to improve their defensive technique and technology."

Luke nodded. They parked a block or so away from the hanger and silently headed for a small blast door on the side. The key datacard worked flawlessly and they slipped inside. The hanger was dark. In the gloom, they could barely make out the shapes of starfighters, bombers and a couple of the sleek, silver royal starships and yachts. Luke could sense Mara's unease through the force and was a little uneasy himself. Jan and Kyle were just as nervous as they were. After what must have been at least five minutes, Mara was about to suggest that they go back when a door leading to the palace opened and twelve palace royal guards strode out, escorting a much older man. Luke had to gently take Mara's hand to prevent her from getting to her blaster. When they were within ten meters, the older man said, "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Marshall Commander Gavin Sykes of the Royal Naboo Security Forces. I'm glad you could make it."

Luke strode forward and, as a pair of royal guards flinched towards their blasters, stopped and said with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir. We were told by two of your officers that you might have some work for us. I am curious, why are we meeting this late and in a dark hanger that is highly confidential?"

Sykes stepped forward and proffered his hand. As Luke shook it, the elderly man said, "Your president Mon Mothma sent me word that you were coming."

Luke chuckled. She had never told him that she was letting Sykes know he was coming. "Okay. So what can a freighter crew do for you?"

Sykes chuckled himself and said, "Please, Colonel Skywalker, no need for this masquerade – not in here at least. She told us you were coming and gave us holos of each of you. She requested that we help you to the best of our abilities."

Mara stepped up and stood next to Luke. "Who is 'we' Marshall Commander?"

Sykes inclined his eyed, "The King and myself of course. Ever since we kicked the Empire out of the system, we've had to deal with the Zann Consortium. They are worse. They built up a massive demand for spice, prostitution, illegal weapons and much more. The King won't stand for it anymore."

Luke scratched his very stubbly chin. "I thought the king was all but put in place by the Zann Consortium."

Sykes smiled tightly. "Yes, a clever ruse on the part of the king. He played the dutiful puppet monarch for a few months while quietly sending word to the Rebel Alliance, hoping that you could help us. They sure didn't say they were sending two Jedi Knights and two Intelligence Operators."

"One Jedi Knight and three intelligence operators." Corrected Mara a little frostily. Luke looked at her questioningly before turning back to Sykes. "What can we do for you, Sir and also, what can you do for us?"

Sykes' wrinkled face broke into a grin and he said, "Well since you're a crew of freighters, we have a shipment of weapons and munitions we need you to pick up. I would also prefer that not all of you went. You see, the Zann Consortium has been trying to get a contract with the RNSF for months now. To that end, they keep trying to stop us from getting needed supplies. On Geonosis is a heavy transport with the cargo. I assume two of you could operate that."

Jan and Kyle knew how to and with the help of the astro droids, they probably would easily. Luke nodded to Sykes who said, "Good. The other two can keep looking around for more work. Make it as obvious as possible in your questioning for work. Hopefully, we'll be able to learn where these scum are based out of."

Luke nodded. Suddenly, the lights turned on in the hanger and a large group came out of the palace entrance. A very elaborately dressed man and woman, surrounded by orange clad handmaidens and servants, not to mention another twenty guards, entered. Mara's eyes widened. Seeing her expression, Luke murmured, "Who is that?"

Mara sent Luke a thought through their link, _That's the King and his wife. Stang! Intel said that they were corrupt. This could be a trap._

Seeing their expressions, Marshal Commander Sykes chuckled, "May I present King Marious Tahoon and his wife Seena and his daughter Naina. Your majesties, these are the four Alliance Operatives that President Mon Mothma sent."

The King was a man of at least fifty standard years. With a kindly and earnest smile, King Tahoon said, "It is a pleasure to meet the last remaining Jedi Knights. Please, don't bow. As I told your president, we are honored and deeply grateful that the Alliance of Free Planets were willing to help us and even more so since they sent Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade."

Luke was a little confused when he felt Mara's emotions darken when the king had said 'Jedi Knights'. He sent her a questioning thought but she mentally waved it away. _We can talk about it later, Luke._

The King turned to Jan and Kyle and, blushing with embarrassment, said, "I apologize. I do not mean to make it sound like you aren't there or don't matter, Agent Katarn and Agent Ors. Your high command said that they were sending their best and I must thank you for coming as well. Tell me, how goes your operation? I don't want or need details just to know how you think it's going."

Kyle cleared his throat and said, "A little progress has been made, your majesty but we only just arrived today. I don't suppose there are any helpful clues or tips you can give us. Any information at all would be helpful."

Before the King could reply, Seena Tahoon stepped forward, her handmaidens around her. She was only slightly younger than the king and was quite beautiful. She offered her hand to each in turn and they each kissed it before she spoke. In a rich, exotic and unfamiliar accent, she said, "Ladies, gentlemen, we know that there are members in our government, highly placed members, who are in the pocket of the Zann Consortium. That is why we met here in the hanger. If any of you can track finances, we would be obliged if you would help us find who they are."

Mara cleared her throat and inclined her head respectfully and the queen turned to her with a smile. "My lady, I can track finances but I'm afraid it won't be that simple. As I'm sure you're aware, the Zann Consortium will have shell corporations, fake companies and numerous bank accounts that they funnel all their credits through. I will do my best."

Seena nodded. "Thank you, Mara Jade. Any help that you can give will be greatly appreciated."

Out of the midst of orange clad handmaidens came a young woman no older than nineteen or twenty. Seena Tahoon smiled fondly and said, "Our daughter Naina. To keep her safe, we have her dress like a handmaiden whenever visitors are in the palace and keep her existence as much a secret as possible. Unfortunately we know that the Zann Consortium knows she exists. We have received a few veiled threats on her life."

Luke and Kyle were making conscious efforts not to stare at the girl. She was absolutely beautiful. Clearing his throat and focusing every thought on the words he was saying, Luke said, "We will make sure that Naboo is freed from the corrupting influence of the Zann Consortium. Thank you for your help and your courtesy. I am sorry if this seems rude but we only arrived earlier this evening and the planetary cycle is playing havoc with our internal kronos."

Naina smiled and said in a soft voice, "I recommend a few glasses of Naboo wine, Master Skywalker. It will help you sleep and get more in sink with the local time."

Luke smiled and willed the blush to stay out of his face as he replied politely, "We will definitely keep that in mind, my Lady. Is there anything else we can do for you, your Majesties?"

The King shook his head and said, "No. Again, thank you, Colonel Skywalker and thank you all. If you do not wish to stay aboard your ship, there are several very nice hotels near the palace."

With that, the royal family and its sizable entourage departed. Marshal Commander Sykes said, "If Agents Ors and Katarn don't mind getting an early start tomorrow, we would appreciate it. It's a couple days to Geonosis. Oh, by the way, there is a wine merchant in the city who wants to have a small shipment of wine delivered to one of the cantinas on Tatooine. Since it isn't far from either Naboo or Geonosis, I think it would be a good idea to take that job to. This chip here has the coordinates and also has several restaurants, hotels and shopping areas that are mostly free of Consortium influence. Of course, there is also a list of the Consortium businesses on there as well. I hope it proves helpful."

Luke proffered his hand to the older man who took it. "I'm sure it will be. You and the royal family are already making this mission a lot easier. Thank you, sir. Have a good night. Our ship is in docking bay Cresh-13 if you need to contact us."

Within a few minutes, they were in their speeder on the way back to the docking bay and the freighter. Mara was looking at Luke with a little smirk on her face. After almost five minutes, Luke blurted out, "WHAT?"

Mara laughed and said, "The princess was pretty, wasn't she boys?"

Jan looked at Kyle and cocked an eyebrow. Kyle pretended to yawn and covered his mouth to try and hide his blush before saying, "She was pretty enough I guess."

Mara looked at Luke who used the force to keep the blush out of his own face and just shrugged noncommittally. "Like Kyle said: she was pretty enough but nothing to get all hot and bothered about."

Mara laughed again, harder before saying, "Nice try, Farmboy. I could tell how hard you had to concentrate just to keep your mind on the task at hand and she..."

Mara smirked again, "She wasn't even trying to. Her mind already had you half naked with one foot in her bedroom."

Luke couldn't keep the blush out after she said that, nor could he keep from trying to sputter an objection. Mara laughed and snuggled up to him while he drove the speeder. "I'm sorry. You just get so cute when your embarrassed."

Luke shook his head. "You can be so insufferable sometimes, you know that?"

Mara giggled and closed her eyes, her head leaning against his shoulder and her arm laced through his. The fruity, spicy smell of her hair made Luke smile and he inhaled deeply. It was a beautiful night.

When they made it back to the ship, they had a hasty discussion about the next day's plans. Kyle and Jan would go to the wine merchant early in the morning, strike a deal, drop the shipment off on Tatooine, head to Geonosis, pick up transport of armaments for the RNSF and then return to Naboo. The whole trip would only take about a week or so. Luke looked at Jan and Kyle sternly. "Do not sleep in the Captain's cabin. If I found out that you two were going at it in MY BED, there will be hell to pay. Also, no side trips, no side missions and not a scratch on the ship. Oh and when you're on Geonosis, see if you can get the haul plating repaired. Credit chips are in the storage compartment behind the copilot's seat."

When business was concluded, Jan and Kyle went to bed. Luke decided that the princess's advice wasn't so bad and went to a small convenience shop right outside the hanger. There, he purchased two bottles of the wine and brought it back. In the captain's cabin on the bed was Mara, stretched out under a blanket and already sleeping. Luke smiled and sipped his wine as he strode over to the bed and sat down. His mind went back to her reactions when Sykes and the king had said that they were Jedi Knights. Luke himself had assumed that they were but her emotions gave him pause. Brushing her glorious golden-red hair out of the way so that he could see her face, Luke murmured quietly, "Why does that bother you so much, Mara?"

As he contemplated, he wondered, with a sinking heart, if it bothered her that he was a Jedi Knight as well. Sighing, Luke finished his wine and stood back up. He stripped off his clothes and laid down as gently as possible so as not to wake her. As soon as he was settled in and comfortable, Mara rolled over and rested her head on his shoulder and chest, one of her small hands on his chest and a leg thrown over his own. The wine was stronger than any others he had ever tried – not that he ever drank that much. Luke began to feel the effects just a little. Suddenly, he felt a nibbling sensation against his chest and looked down to see Mara's green eyes in the dim light. He couldn't see for sure, but Luke knew she was grinning at him. Suddenly, her thoughts came to him. _With such a pretty princess ready to dote on you, I thought I should give you a reason to remember I'm here._

Luke chuckled and sent back, _I couldn't nor would I ever want to forget you're here. The last time I met a princess, I found out she was my sister. I think one sister and one girlfriend are enough. I don't need two of either._

Mara looked up at him and asked _Is that what I am, Luke – your girlfriend?_

 _Well we never really put a label on it but I don't really know what else to call it. Whatever we have, it's seems so much more than a simple boyfriend/girlfriend relationship. What would you call it?_

Mara thought about that. It was a good question. They had both searched one another's minds and seen the private fears and hopes of the other. Whatever they had, Mara wouldn't call it love yet, it was more than a simple dating or courting relationship. Luke's blue eyes were studying hers. Finally, she smiled and caressed his stubbly cheek with a finger. _Since there probably isn't really a word for whatever it is we have, I guess 'girlfriend' will have to do. Should I start calling you 'boo' or maybe 'honey', 'sweety', 'dear' or what about 'sugar'?_

Luke shook his head at all of them. _Oh no. Please do not do that to me. I already have a hard time living down 'Farmboy' and I like that nickname._

Mara gave a sleepy giggle and snuggled back down. Luke stroked her hair and thought to her, _Any pet names you want me to call you? I'm sure I could think of some really cute ones – blossom, flower, sweetums, lovey..._ "OUCH!"

Luke looked down in a small amount of wonder. Mara's green eyes glinted up at him. She had just bit him! _Any other pet-name idea's, Skywalker?_

Luke grinned. He could probably come up with a dozen or so but instead decided to shake his head. _'Mara' it is then._

Satisfied, Mara kissed the place where she had bit and laid her head back down. Out loud, she whispered, "Goodnight, Farmboy. Sweet dreams."

Luke ran his thumb up and down her spine tenderly and whispered, "Goodnight, Mara. As long as you're here, they will be."

The following morning, Luke woke up to find Jan and Kyle gone already. Shrugging he gently eased Mara off him and got dressed in a pair of blue pants, a white shirt and threw a long gray coat over all of it. He contemplated waking Mara but decided to let her sleep in. Luke reassembled his lightsaber and hid it in a hidden pocket inside the coat. Curious, he went to the cargo hold to see what kind of weapons Jan and Mara had stowed in the secret weapons wrack. Luke stared open-mouthed after punching in the code. The wrack was jam-packed with everything from vibro-blades and holdout blasters to sniper rifles and even a PLX rocket launcher. Shaking his head with amazement, he walked up to take a closer look. There were a lot of really nice weapons in there. Luke gave a low whistle as he pulled out a Wester-38 Blaster pistol. It was sleek and felt good in his hand. After examining it, he went on to another weapon – and another until almost an hour and a half had slipped by. Sighing resignedly, Luke decided that he had to wake Mara up if they were going to accomplish anything.

Mara sensed Luke walk back into the cabin as she sat brushing out her hair, humming to herself happily. If anyone were to ask why she was in such a good mood, she wouldn't be able to say for sure. Setting the brush aside, she began the time consuming task of braiding it and then neatly securing it with a small electrum clasp. All the while, Luke just stood, gazing at her as she hummed and worked. The emotions rolling off him were those of wonder and delight and they made Mara even more happy. When she was finally done, she stood and turned. "Morning, Farmboy."

Luke smiled at her and said, "Morning, beautiful. I was going to wake you up but it seems I was too late."

Mara walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek as she went to her cabin to get changed out of the gray tank top and panties she had slept in and into a professional looking red and gold tunic. Luke pulled a selection of coats like his and motioned to them. "These all have hidden pockets where we can hide our lightsabers. You can pick one if you want."

Mara picked a black one and reassembled her lightsaber, sliding it into the hidden pocket. They packed some luggage bags with clothes and other necessities since Kyle and Jan would be taking the ship when they got back. "What's for breakfast? Are you cooking or buying?"

Luke chuckled. "Let's go and try some of the local stuff. After that, we can check into a hotel and then we can go and see if anyone else needs to have some stuff shipped."

Mara agreed and they left the ship, arm in arm. They went into the first place they saw. It was a small diner with a pleasant family atmosphere and delicious smells wafting from the kitchen. Luke's stomach grumbled and Mara laughed. "Oh, Owen. That stomach of yours complains more than Neena and Den do."

Luke chuckled, slipping back into the character of the rancher from Dantooine turned freighter pilot. "They only complain when their hungry, or tired, or bored..."

Mara, alias Arica, laughed and sipped her tea. Luke sipped his rather strong caff and was proud of himself for not pulling a face at the bitterness. Fighter jocks like him usually liked strong caff but this stuff was almost too much. The waitress delivered their breakfasts and they dug in, chatting about who they should ask about work. In the middle of their meal, three armored individuals strode up to their table – two humans and a weequay. One of the humans was female. The male leered at Mara with a nasty looking grin. "Mornin', darlin'. What are you doin' hangin' around with a punk like this?"

The female, who was clearly in charge, addressed Luke, "You Owen Lars, the owner of the YT-2000 light freighter _Krayt Pearl?"_

Luke, glaring at the man for his comment, turned his icy blue eyes on her. "That's right. Whose asking, lady?"

The female mercenary's eyes blazed. She reached down and tried to yank Luke up to his feet. It didn't work though so she brought her face down to his. "Watch how you talk to me, worm. I could blast you right here and no one would think a thing of it."

Luke looked her straight in the eyes and said, "And I could blast you right here and not give two kriffs or a pile of poodoo whether anyone thought something of it or not."

He tapped the barrel of the holdout blaster he had discretely drawn against her breast plate. Mara sat there, glaring at the mercenaries. Finally she bit out, "What the hell do you want from us? We have no quarrel with the Zann Consortium. We're just looking for work to pay for fuel and food."

The female merc stepped back, her hands up slightly to show that her hands were empty. The two males were trying to circle. Mara also whipped out her blasters in the space of a heartbeat and covered them both before they could direct their attention back to her. In a voice as cold as the ice planet of Hoth and deadly as any Imperial super weapon, Luke said, "Listen up, scum suckers, cause I'm only going to say this once. You are going to stay out of our way and let us do our business on Naboo or I will personally blast each and every armored moron who wanders into my sight. Got it?"

Mara was impressed. She didn't think Luke could sound that intimidating. The female merc was thinking of going for her blaster rifle but the weequay said, "Don't do it. Even you can't draw before he blasts you."

She didn't listen and Luke shot her square in the chest before her hand even got to her blaster pistol. Out of reflex and instinct, Mara blasted the two others. Sighing and knowing that this wasn't going to end well, Luke holstered his blaster and pulled out a credit chip with a goodly some on it. The owner came out spitting, he was so angry. Luke handed him the chip, apologized for the mess and he and Mara left their breakfast only half eaten. Luke murmured, "Well let's find a nondescript hotel and try to lay low for awhile."

Mara nodded and said, "Perhaps we should go through one of the markets first. We picked up a couple tales and I know they aren't security. Oh great, speaking of security..."

A Flash Speeder pulled into the area and a pair of Naboo Security Officers pointed blasters at them. "Keep your hands where we can see them and get on your knees."

Luke and Mara were cuffed and loaded into the back of the speeder. From there they were taken to the local security operations center and placed in separate interrogation rooms. Luke sent Mara a couple thoughts through their link. _Well we have a target on our back now. Soon as we can, we'll need to contact Kyle and Jan and let them no to be careful._

 **Updated May 25, 2016**


	5. Chapter 5: Resolutions

**Warning: Major mature content ahead. Graffic, DETAILED mature content. You have been warned. If you want to skip it, look out for the underlined warning label.**

From outside the cell, it looked as though Mara Jade was simply reclining on her cot and daydreaming. In reality, she was holding a conversation with Luke Skywalker through a link they had in the force. It was very useful since they were in separate cells. Mara traced the lines in the wall with her eye as she commented, _You know, Luke, it wouldn't be too hard at all for me to pick the lock and break out; just in case we get tired of being reasonable about dealing with the Royal Naboo Security Forces, I mean._

The amused reply came back quickly. _Mara, we can't just break out. I'm sure word will get back to Marshal Commander Sykes and he'll clear all of this up. It may be miserable, but we're just going to have to wait it out._

Mara sighed. _Fine. Do you think they allow conjugal visits in this joint?_

The amusement in Luke's force presence increased as he replied, _Even if they do, I doubt they will between two prisoners, Mara. You can ask if you want, though._

Mara snorted. It wasn't even worth the effort of asking. _Well tonight during shift change, I can break out, sneak over to your cell, break in, we can have our fun and then I'll break back into my cell._

She actually heard Luke's laugh in the nearby cell. It made her smile. _What if I were to just send you mental images of what I want to do to you? Would that be fun?_

She saturated the thought with as much heat and desire and passion that she could, knowing that it would effect him. Luke reply was laced with longing and frustration at their current situation. _Ugh. Please don't. You'll just make me want you even more than I already do. Kriff, Mara, I want you so bad it hurts right now._

Mara knew what he meant. It was almost a physical ache that had been building slowly and painfully for over six months and that would only make if worse for both of them. She was about to send a reply when the door to her cell opened. In stepped two security officers, each carrying a chair. Mara sat up. "Can I help you, gentlemen?" She asked coolly. One of them, the senior officer, cleared his throat and said, "You can tell us who you are, why you're here and what happened in the restaurant earlier today."

Mara nodded. "That's simple enough. My boyfriend and I were eating breakfast when three mercs just barged up to our table and disturbed our meal. We tried to warn them off but they forced us to shoot them. If we hadn't it would have started a fire fight. Innocent people would have died and property would have been destroyed. My name is Arica Nen. My boyfriend, his sister, her boyfriend and I are an independent crew of cargo freighters. We came here looking for work."

The younger officer snorted. "Well that's a likely tale, isn't it, Ms. Nen. Why did you run from the scene of the fight?"

Mara was an expert in interrogation and these two were not very skilled at it. She cocked an eyebrow. "Doesn't stuff like that always happen – shootings in cantinas I mean?"

The two officer's looked at each other, horrified at the very idea. "No it doesn't! Where in the galaxy are you from anyway?"

Mara shrugged. "Corescant, originally. The crew and I have recently been looking for work along the mid and outer rim. To be honest the pickings have been slim."

The two officers looked at each other again and then said, "We're gonna need you to file a report and then you will be free to go. We have your comms frequency so don't try to avoid us or leave."

Suddenly, one of the officer's comlinks went off and he said, "Yes?"

He turned a little pale and they both stood up as he replied, "Yes of course, sir. We are on our way now."

They both left and Mara was alone again. She sent to Luke, _Did you get questioned and have to write a statement, too?_

Luke's reply was short in coming. _Yup, though they just left for something. Sounds like someone in charge has just shown up. I'm hoping it's Sykes._

Mara agreed. They had already been stuck for a couple hours and at least she was getting bored. Suddenly, the two officers came back in rather stiffly. The older one said, "We apologize, Jedi Jade. We did not realize that you were an agent of the Alliance or that you were a Jedi Knight."

Mara, once again, felt her temper beginning to fray. As civilly as possible, she said, "I am an agent of the Alliance, but not a Jedi Knight."

That confused them even more. The senior officer said, "I don't understand. We were told by Marshal Commander Sykes that you were both Jedi Knights."

Mara crossed her arms and replied evenly, "He is mistaken. I am not a Jedi Knight or a Jedi of any kind."

She sensed Luke's concerned inquiry as to why it upset her so much. Angrily, she pushed him away, saying as she did, _We'll talk about it later, Skywalker and we are going to do so at length._

He just sent the faintest of acknowledgements. Mara looked at the two officers and said, "Look gentlemen, are we free to go or not?"

The two officers looked at each other and nodded. Mara stood and walked out the door. Luke met her at the lock up room where they retrieved their coats, their duffel bags and their blaster belts. From there, they were escorted out the front of the security command post. They walked quietly, neither of them speaking. About a block down the busy walk way, a RNSF Gian Speeder pulled up. Driving it was Marshal Commander Sykes. "Get in, Jedi. We're taking you to one of the royal safe houses. Only the royal family, myself and the RNSF commanders know where it is. It's in one of the upscale hotels near the royal hanger."

Mara's mood only became worse as she and Luke got into the speeder. They were taken to a large warehouse looking building which Sykes drove through for several minutes before coming out of a hidden garage door and immediately disappearing into another speeder garage with a disguised door. He skillfully parked it and got out. Walking up to Luke, Sykes gave the young Jedi a small plasteel case. "Inside are key cards to the room you'll be staying in, some credit chips with ten thousand credits on them, a comlink that goes directly to my own personal one and the activation key to one of our security speeders – that one over there to be precise. Do you need anything else, Jedi?"

Mara was a second away from snapping that all she needed was to not be called a Jedi but Luke gently grabbed and squeezed her hand and said, "That should be good, thank you, Sir. Tell me, will it be safe to contact our ship? They should arrive on Geonosis by tonight and we should warn them."

Sykes nodded. "In your suite is a comms unit that is so encrypted that only the best slicers will be able to get it and even if they do, that comms unit will route it through every security command station in the city. It will be perfectly safe."

Luke proffered his hand. "Thank you very much, sir. We'll lay low and see what happens – at least until our partners make if back with our ship."

Mara managed to say, "I'll start looking into those finances if you can get me a list of names and the clearance."

Sykes said, "Ah, I would have forgotten. Here is the list of names and the access codes to all their files. If you need anything else, let me know. The King said to help yourselves to anything in the suite. Have a good day and evening, Jedi."

Luke squeezed her hand gently one more time just to distract her from biting out the comment she was going to make. After a moment, she yanked her hand free and strode to the turbo lift. Luke was really getting worried. He got in the lift car and they were both silent until they reached the suite at the top. Mara walked in threw her bag on a table and then turned to face Luke, her anger, frustration and – what were those other emotions; worry, fear, sadness - so intense it made Luke wince? She cleared her throat and said, "We need to get this out of the way, Skywalker. I am NOT a Jedi. I DO NOT WANT TO BE a Jedi. People need to STOP CALLING ME A JEDI."

Luke was surprised at her. It took a couple moments for her to realize that she had been shouting at him. Still, she was unrepentant. Luke cleared his throat and said, "Okay, I'll make it clear to Sykes that you are not, and should not be referred to as, a Jedi."

He waited for several moments as they gazed at each other until Luke threw his arms up in exasperation and said, "Blast it, Mara! Why won't you tell me what's wrong? One minute, we're doing great. Hell! We were in PRISON CELLS and we were okay but now, you're back to calling me by my sir name and glaring at me like you want to kill me again. What's bothering you so much? It can't all just be about people calling you a Jedi."

Mara just turned her head, looking out a window and saying nothing. Luke was getting frustrated. He walked over to her and tried to put his arms around her but just backed out of his embrace. A pang of hurt went through him and also crossed their mental link to her. Despite his best efforts, Luke's temper was beginning to fray and he knew it. Taking a deep breath, he said, "Fine. I'll be stowing my gear and contacting Jan and Kyle. When you want to actually resolve this, come and talk to me."

He walked away, resisting the urge to stomp with every step. In one of the rooms, he put his clothes in the drawers, placed his tool box for the maintenance on his hand and his lightsaber and his datapad on a table and put the empty bag under the bed. His lightsaber he took out and placed on his belt before unbuckling it all and hanging it on the back of a chair. The comms unit was in an office-like room and Luke sent a recorded message to Jan and Kyle. "Owen Lars to Neena Lars and Den Largo; look, be careful. The Zann Consortium may know about your run so take extra care. The closer you get to Naboo, the more dangerous it will be. If you need support contact us at this frequency. Take care."

When he was done, he went to the kitchen and checked the refrigeration unit, the pantry and the cupboards. They were all well stocked with the highest end ingredients from many different worlds. Luke sighed and began to automatically pull things out to make a couple of baked topatoes, some shaak steaks, a veggie salad and a fruit salad. He had just fired up the oven and the grilling unit when he heard a throat cleared behind him. Turning, Luke noticed Mara leaning against the wall. Tentatively, he smiled and said, "Hey. You hungry? I can have lunch ready in about a half hour; sooner if you feel like lending a hand."

Mara didn't respond. She went up to him and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, resting her forehead in the crease of his neck and shoulder. "I'm so sorry about earlier, Luke."

Luke held her in his arms and whispered, "I just wish you would let me help you, Mara. I would do whatever I can to do it, you know. What has you so knotted up?"

Mara looked up into his eyes as if trying to read his thoughts. Luke gazed back and whispered, "I know you don't want to be a Jedi and I'd be lying if I said that it didn't disappoint me but is the fact that I am a Jedi upsetting you too?"

The flicker that he sensed in her emotions confirmed that he had hit the nail on the head. Luke felt his heart begin to sink and break at the same time. Letting her go, he turned back to the food, cutting the vegetables and fruit with a little more force than was necessary. "Why does it bother you so much?" He murmured as he put the vegetables in one bowl and the fruit into another. When he heard a lowed sniff, Luke turned to face her and was surprised to see tears running down Mara's cheeks. She tried to wipe them away and a noise that was a heartbreaking mixture of sob and laugh came out before she said, "You don't even know what it means to be a Jedi, Luke – what the Jedi believed and how they lived."

Luke was getting more confused. "What do you mean? The Jedi were the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. What more is there to know than that? Yoda and Obi-wan never mentioned anything beyond that."

Mara cleared her throat and managed to compose herself a little more. "Luke, have you ever heard of the Jedi code? Did any of them mention anything about it? Did Dar - Anikan mention anything?"

Luke shook his head slowly. "No, none of them did. Why?"

Mara looked as though she was about to lose it again but she rallied and said, "Luke I used to study the Jedi in my spare time as the Emperor's Hand. They didn't allow emotional attachment of any kind. They forbade romantic affection and love. They were convinced it lead to the dark side of the force. If you truly are a Jedi, you might have to do the same thing and that means that I'm going to lose you. Maybe not as a friend or a comrade in arms but as a -"

Her voice broke and the tears were rolling down her cheeks again. Luke was dumbstruck. The Jedi had really gone to that length – to deny themselves love and affection and emotions. Was that even possible. "How is that possible? My father was a Jedi and yet here I am."

Mara was trying again to clear her tears and her voice was rough as she sniffed and replied, "From what I understand, he and a senator from here – Naboo I mean – had a secret marriage that no one knew about until near the end of the Clone Wars and the rise of the Empire. Had the Jedi Council found out, he would have been expelled from the Jedi Order for marrying your mother."

Luke leaned back against the counter. It was a lot to take in. Was he expected to follow the same rules as the Jedi of the old order? Closing his mind off to Mara, he sent his presence out as far as he could in all directions, mentally yelling, _Yoda, Obi-wan, Father what am I expected to do? I care so much about her. Am I really supposed to give her up to rebuild the Jedi Order?_

Suddenly, another presence, an unfamiliar one returned his mental call. _No, young Luke. You are not rebuilding the old order. You are building a new Jedi Order. The old ways are dead. You must learn from the mistakes of the past and apply all that you know and learn to the future._

Luke looked around. It looked as though the world had frozen around him. His eyes widened and he thought, _Who are you, master?_

 _I am Qui-Gon Jinn. A dark time is coming, young Luke and I have been sent to help guide you and Mara in the best way that I and the others can. When the time comes, five of us will approach you and give you knowledge that will help you through these times to come._

Luke didn't understand but he accepted the words. Suddenly, it was as if time had started again. Mara was gazing at him. He doubted that she had heard what he had. Setting his face, Luke walked up to her and said, "I am not rebuilding the old Jedi Order, Mara. I am building a new Jedi Order. I will learn from the flaws of the generations of those who came before me just as I will learn from my own flaws and mistakes. I promise you that you will not lose me simply because I am a Jedi Knight."

Reaching out, he wrapped his arms around her. After a moment, he whispered, "Mara, if you don't want to be a Jedi, I can accept that. I just wish that you would. I'm going to need your help and your support to do this. I don't know enough nor am I strong enough to do this task on my own."

They separated and they both looked into one another's tear-filled eyes. Finally, Mara uttered another half-sob half-laugh and wiped her face before saying, "Thank you, Luke. Whoever that Qui-Gon Jinn was, he sure seemed to think that we were tied together some how."

Luke's eyes widened. "You heard all that too?"

Mara snorted and said, "Of course, you nerf. Any self-respecting force user would have. Or at least, I assume they would."

Luke smiled. He quickly put the steaks on the grilling unit and wrapped the topatoes in aluminum sheets before sticking them in the oven. That done, he turned back to Mara, who was smiling, though her eyes were still uncertain. Luke took her hands and kissed her ever so gently on the lips. She accepted and returned it. After a few moments, they separated and she muttered something. Luke leaned forward and said, "What was that? I didn't hear you."

Mara said it again, just a little louder but loud enough to be heard. "I'll consider becoming a Jedi. I need to think about it though, Luke. It's a huge commitment."

Luke nodded gravely. "I understand. Like I said, if you don't want to be, I will accept that. Now come on, let's set the table and get ready for dinner. I think I saw a liquor cabinet just before the kitchen."

Mara nodded and gave Luke's hands a squeeze before she went and picked two bottles of wine. They were slightly odd colored. One was a deep blue color and the other almost black. "There is no way that this one is from Naboo." Said Mara, holding the black one up. Luke took a closer look as he deftly flipped over the steaks. After a moment, he said, "It says it's made of a plant from the planet Sarkhai. I've never heard of it. What do you know about it, sweetheart?"

Mara glared at him. After a moment, Luke chuckled and said, "Sorry, just had to try it. Doesn't suit you, though."

Mara set the bottles down and cocked her hip, placing a small hand on it. "Are you saying I'm not sweet, Farmboy?"

Luke contemplated for a few moments, trying to think of something to say that wouldn't leave him sleeping alone that night. Finally he said, "Let's put it this way. You are like a surprise cup of caff. You can be sweet or you can be strong and invigorating or both. Either way, I have to have you or else I can't function as well."

Mara's face broke into a smile and she said, "Aww! That might be the sweetest things you've ever said to me, Luke."

Luke chuckled as she came up, kissed him on the cheek and hugged him tightly. "I did call you my hero that time back after the battle of Endor."

Mara sighed and said, "That was pretty sweet but what you just said was so much sweeter. Say it again?"

Luke chuckled and repeated his words to her. She pulled away and kissed his lips before saying, "Steaks done and I'm hungry. Feed me."

Luke laughed in delight that Mara was back to being in a good mood. He pulled the steaks out and the topatoes and grabbed the plates as Mara grabbed the salad bowls. When the table was set, Luke thought to turn down the lights and light a couple candles. When it was all set, it was quite a romantic scene. Luke and Mara made small talk as they ate their food, taking long moments to gaze into one another's eyes. After a particularly long stretch of silence, when they had just finished their last bites and were sipping their wine while holding hands across the small table, Mara asked, "Whatcha thinkin', Farmboy?"

Luke smiled. "I was trying to translate my apparently successful metaphor into a pet name. Unfortunately calling you my 'surprise caff cup' doesn't sound all that sweet so I think I'll give it up."

Mara laughed. "Oh Luke, you can be so adorable sometimes."

Luke feigned hurt. "Only sometimes?"

Mara squeezed his hand placating, "The rest of the time, your handsome or you're a mess after a fight. You don't have to call me a pet name, Farmboy. I call you that because it fits so well. You were a farm boy and you still have that earnest, honest, naïve farm boy attitude."

Luke nodded. He sipped the blue wine. It was quite sweet and he noticed that it didn't effect him as much as the wine from the day before had. After finishing their glasses of wine, they put the dishes in the dish recycler and cleaned up from dinner. That done, they went over to a fireplace. Luke stacked fuel and lit it while Mara grabbed a light blanket and sat on a couch. When the fire was roaring brightly, Luke opened the black bottle of wine and poured them each a glass. "Well, here is to trying new things and taking risks." Said Mara and she and Luke clinked glasses. They each took a sip and found that they enjoyed the wine very much. It was sweet yet a little spicy and left a tingly feeling in their mouths that was quite pleasant. It was only after the second glass each that they discovered that this wine was as strong as many liquors. Luke struggled to replace the bottle stopper and mumbled, "No more of this today or else we'll never keep our wits about us."

Mara giggled and said, "Little late for that, Farmboy. Let me see..." She stood and tried to walk a straight line. Considering that she had been a very skilled dancer, the fact that she tipped over and fell onto the couch almost instantly proved how far gone she was. Mara burst into another fit of giggles. "Oh yeah, I'm totally gone. No more for me thanks."

Luke was chuckling too. "You didn't even make it two steps."

Mara tried to give his shoulder a playful shove but wound up sliding along his chest and falling partially into his lap. "You couldn't do any better right now."

Luke snorted. "Are you kidding? At this point, I probably can't even stand up. I don't drink often, remember?"

Mara nestled down, her head in Luke's lap. "Oh yeah. I forgot. Pfft..." She giggled some more. "Luke do you realize it's only like, fifteen hundred right now and we're already too inebriated to do much of anything?"

Luke laughed again, nodding his head. "I know. This is terrible. What would high command think if they saw us now?"

Mara sat up and asked, "Know any Jedi techniques that will clear us up a bit?"

Luke shook his head and nearly fell over from it. "I do but I can't think of them right now – just too far gone I guess. How do people from... what was that planet called... Sarkhai? How do they drink without always being blasted drunk?"

Mara shrugged. "I dunno. All I know is I need to take a nap. Wanna join me?"

Luke nodded. The wine was beginning to make them both sleepy. Mara laid down on the couch with enough room between her and the back of the couch for Luke. "Waid-a minute. I'm gonna grab some water and electrolyte tablets. They'll clean us up when we wake up a lot more quickly."

When Luke staggered back to the couch, Mara was already almost asleep. Luke made her sit up, drink a glass of water and take two of the tablets before taking two himself. Beside them, he put four more tablets and more water. Luke laid down behind her and Mara pulled the light blanket over them both. The fire burned low but they were still warm enough between each other's body heat and the blanket.

Luke woke and braced himself for the splitting pain. To his surprise, he didn't feel any effects of the drinking from right after lunch. Cautiously, he sat up. He felt perfectly normal. Carefully, he eased out from behind Mara and went to the kitchen. Luke decided to make it a lighter dinner, using left over fruit salad and vegetable salad as well as making a big pot of soup. It was made from nerf meat and was spicy. He also took pre-made dough and put it on a greased sheet before sticking it in the oven. While it was all cooking, he went back to check on Mara. She was still out cold. Luke smiled, leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. Instead of wine, he poured them each water and glasses of blue milk. The milk was to help with the spiciness. When everything was ready, he gently shook Mara. With a mumble, she opened her eyes and sat up. "I'm really hungry."

Luke chuckled and carefully picked her up in his arms. Mara protested, "Put me down! I'm not a cripple. I can walk, you know."

Luke chuckled as he gently deposited her in the chair. "I'm sure you can. How do you feel?"

Mara frowned for a moment before saying, "Good. Really good, actually. What is with that wine?"

Luke shrugged and said, "Not sure. I just know that I don't need anymore. I can get you some if you want though."

Mara shook her head vigorously. "No more for me, thanks. Drunk once in a day is way more than enough for me. Wow! This all looks great, Luke. How do you do it?"

Luke chuckled, "Trial and error, Mara. Trial and error. Dig in. I hope you like spicy food."

They ate heartily, enjoying the food immensely. By the time they were done, Mara was holding her flat stomach and sighing with satisfaction. "Luke if you keep doing that, you're going to make me fat. You make way too much food."

They went to a lounge room with an entertainment holo-projector and a massive cabinet full of holofilms. They perused them leisurely until Mara pulled one down. "This was one of my favorites. Wanna put it on?"

Luke took a look. It was a pretty old film and was supposedly historically accurate about a smuggler and a mercenary during the Great Galactic War who had adventures and did amazing things together. It was, also, apparently a six part series. Being one for trying new things, Luke shrugged and said, "Sure; let's put it on and try it."

Luke laughed as Mara literally skipped over to the projector and put the holofilm datacard in. She then skipped over, snuggled up to Luke, pulled a blanket over both of them and they settled in to watch.

When the first in the series was over, Luke was nodding his head appreciatively. "I like it. Should we put in the next one?"

Mara nodded eagerly. "Sure. I'll put it in, you go put on some caff to brew."

Over steaming cups of rich Naboo caff, they watched the second film. It was pretty late by the time it had ended and, despite thecaff, Luke was beginning to doze. Mara was disappointed. There was one scene that she wanted Luke to see and it was coming up. It was a very romantic, heart felt scene and whenever she and Luke were having a deep, personal conversation, it always came to her mind.

To wake him up, Mara shifted in position and pretended to sneeze noisily. It did the trick. "Sorry;" they both said at once. Luke stood up and put the empty caff cups on an end table. Mara was standing too and Luke sat long ways on the couch. Mara carefully sat on his lap, both their legs stretched out before them. Luke wrapped his arms around her from behind and Mara pulled the blanket up over them. When they reached Mara's favorite scene, she mouthed the words along with the characters. It was a scene about a personal dilemma which ended in a very intense kissing scene that lead to a very suggestive end. Mara began to shift in Luke's lap. _Are you uncomfortable, Mara?_

 _In a way, I'm a little uncomfortable, yes._ Throwing the blanket off, she stood and Luke stood with her. Mara was pacing back and forth. After a moment, she said, "It's funny how a holofilm and characters in it can help you make a decision."

Luke cocked an eyebrow and asked, "I'm afraid I don't follow. What decision did you make or are you trying to make?"

Mara was quiet. She hugged her arms around herself slightly. "I'm trying to decide whether I want to be a Jedi or not."

Luke nodded. Slowly, he stood and wrapped his arms around her from behind, but he didn't say anything – he just held her close. After a few silent minutes, Mara whispered, "I hate being in the spotlight. I was never in it before. I was always just a decoration in the Imperial Court or a shadow or an operative but if I actually take the title of Jedi, everyone will see me as a hero and I'll always be in the spotlight."

Luke still didn't say anything. He wanted so badly to convince her but this decision was one she had to make on her own and he had to accept one way or the other. Mara spoke again, a little louder. "On the other hand, if I take the name of Jedi, people will trust me. Everyone will stop looking at me as just an assassin or intelligence asset or former Imperial. The Alliance and the people of the galaxy will accept me."

She was quiet again. Finally she turned to face Luke. In a voice that was almost childlike, she asked, "What should I do?"

Luke kissed her forehead and murmured to her, "I can't tell you what to do or make a decision for you, Mara. All I can do is tell you that whatever you do, I'm still here for you."

Mara nodded and laid her head on his shoulder. Finally, she looked at Luke and said, "I can't seclude myself just because it makes me comfortable. That is selfish and I don't want to be that way. The right thing to do is to do what I can to protect people and to help the Alliance."

Luke smiled and waited for her to finish her thought, excitement beginning for rise from the pit of his stomach like a fountain. Mara sensed this and smiled. After almost a minute, she said in a confident voice, "Luke, I want to be a Jedi Knight. Can you help me?"

Luke whooped and lifted her off the ground before laying a kiss on her lips that took her breath away. When he finally let her breath again, he murmured, "Of course I will, Mara. You didn't even have to ask me."

Mara smiled and kissed him again. Suddenly, she felt that dull ache in the core of her being starting to intensify. Pulling away, she looked at Luke - and then looked around - and then at the couch - and then back at Luke. The heat that had been in her for over six months ignited again and she _wanted_ him. She _desperately wanted_ him. They were alone in the room of a suite where they had to stay for their own protection. No one but a few knew where they were and those that did wouldn't be visiting lest the give the location of the secret suite away. Mara pressed herself against Luke and wrapped hers arms around his neck, using one to comb through his short, sandy-blond hair and pulled him into a deep, sultry kiss. Mara used her tongue to caress his lips gently and, when they opened, pushed it into his mouth where it stroked his own. Luke gave a faint groan and his hand moved as if they had their own lives. His living left hand moved up her back gently, running along the spine until he came up to her hair, running his fingers along the glorious gold and red braids. His right, mechanical hand held her to him tightly. As they kissed, Luke used his left hand to gently move her head, giving him an angel to kiss a trail of fire back along her cheek, back to her jaw bone and then her ear. Mara gasped as he nipped the lobe softly and continued the line of fire down her jaw and she moaned, "Ungh! Luke!"

MATURE CONTENT BEGINS HERE.

He continued down until he came to the collar of her tunic and he stopped, pulling back and looking in her eyes. Mara smiled up at him and stepped back. Slowly, she undid the braid in her hair, shaking it loose before she pushed him onto the couch. Through their force link, she said, _If this is going to happen, I'm going to make sure that it is the most memorable experience of your life, Farmboy._

The words were laced with promise. Luke sent back, _It being with you will already make it the most memorable experience of my life._

She straddled his lap, placing her hands on his stubbly face and kissing him ardently. Luke wrapped his arms around and pulled her closer to him, groaning into her mouth with want as her pelvis ground into his manhood. Slowly, she backed off of him and pulled him to stand. Mara reached down and pulled the tunic up over his head and tossed it aside, revealing the rolling muscles of his exposed torso. Luke wasn't tall or terribly broad but there was no denying that he was in perfect shape. Enjoying the feel of smooth skin, Mara ran her hands up his chest and down his back as she walked around him. When she was back in front, Luke knelt down in front of her and took the bottom of her tunic. Mara was surprised. She would have sworn that this would be Luke's first time. Was she wrong? _Maybe Luke is just that good like he is at everything he does._

As Mara felt cool air against her skin, signaling that her tunic was slowly being raised, she also felt something else: soft lips, stubble-covered cheeks, a searching, warm, wet tongue and occasionally the nibbling feeling of gentle teeth. Mara let out a moan. _Oh yeah. He's done this before._

She felt his tongue dip into her navel, his teeth nibbled along her ribs, going inward and upward. Mara's legs began to grow weak as the sensations went straight to her head and to her core. She knew what she liked during sex and Luke was right on target as he went upward, seeming to angle perfectly towards her breasts. Mara moaned again as she anticipated all the wonderful things that were coming. Suddenly, Luke kissed his way up between her breasts, up her neck and back to her lips. This time, Mara moaned in disappointment. He had totally bypassed one of the best things he could have possibly done to her – one of her favorite things. Suddenly, his thoughts reached her. _You kind of have a little something in the way, you know._

Mara pulled back a little, looking into a pair of mesmerizing, burning blue eyes. It took her a second to realize what he meant. Quickly, she put her hands up and let him finish removing her tunic. Luke took a few seconds to look at her. Her flat stomach and gentle curves were absolutely perfect to his eyes. Her golden red hair, flowing around her almost bare shoulders and framing her face, made her look like a fiery goddess. Quickly, she reached behind her for the clasp of her pink bra and fumbled with it until Luke reached around and grabbed her hands, gently pulling them back. _If you be patient, I promise it will be worth it._

He slipped around behind her and knelt again, starting almost at the very base of her spine as he kissed his way up. It felt like these tiny little jolts that told her brain that Luke was there to make sure that this was amazing for her. Mara just stood there, enjoying it when she suddenly felt her bra slacken and push forward. She automatically allowed it to fall from her. Luke continued to kiss his way up her spine, across her shoulders and up her neck. When he stopped, Mara turned around slowly and let him gaze at her. From her waste up, she was bare to the world and Luke's blue eyes blazed so brightly that they almost seemed to glow. Slowly, Mara wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him against her firmly and lifted a leg so that she could grind herself against his leg. She didn't kiss him, she simply rested her forehead against his, her lips just out of reach of his. Luke whispered, "Stars, Mara! I don't know how much longer I can do this. I need you!"

Mara nodded and smiled at him, breathing heavily. "The longer you make this last, the better it will be for both of us. Beside, we're still wearing too much. Help me with these pants."

Luke unbuckled her belt and undid her pants, gently pushing them down. At the same time, she did the same to him and all the while, they kissed one another, devouring each other's lips as if their very lives depended on it. Within moments, they were both naked, holding each other tight. Luke picked her up suddenly, causing her to gasp and giggle. As he carried her and they kissed, he used the force to open one door after the other until he found a bedroom. It was clearly the royal bedroom. The bed was huge and draped in orange and black and the furnishings were so very rich. They stopped kissing for several moments just to look around before Mara grabbed his stubbly face and kissed him again. _This should be fine, don't you think?_

 _I hate to say this but I feel very uncomfortable sleeping in the bed of our host; next door._

Quickly, they went to the next door. It was a smaller bedroom, probably for a handmaiden or guard. _Perfect,_ they both thought and dove in. Luke tenderly laid Mara on the bed and kissed her with all the passion he could, using his tongue to caress her lips and tongue. Mara keened as his hand ran the length of her body from her breasts down to her thighs. As his fingers brushed over the folds of her entrance, her body shivered and she spread her legs. Luke placed himself in between them and kissed a fresh line of fire down her neck and chest as the index and middle finger of his left hand, his real hand, gently pressed between her folds and began to gently explore. Mara's body convulsed as his lips found one of her rosy nipples at the same time as his exploring fingers found the sensitive bundle of nerves and began to rub it. Quickly, she bit down on the edge of the blanket and a long, low, ravenous whimper came from her. The whimper quickly turned to a full blown scream of utter desire and pleasure as Luke suckled and slipped his two fingers deep inside her. It took only a few moments for Mara to realize that if he kept going like this, she was going to climax and she wanted them both to as close together as possible. _Wait, Luke. Wait._

He stopped and looked up. Mara reached down and took his wrist, pulling his fingers out of her. _I want you. I want it to be both of us, not just me; at the same time._

Luke nodded and gave a few more little nibbles on her perfect tips, causing her to continue to gasp a moan. "Luke!" she gasped before he positioned himself. Mara took hold of his hard, hot arousal and guided it as he pressed it deep inside her. The feeling for both of them was indescribable and they both moaned together. Luke placed his lips on hers and began to move. Out and in. Mara moaned into his mouth before he ended the kiss so that they could both breathe. Out and in. Mara gasped and her hands grasped his hips, pulling him into her harder. Out and in. Luke groaned as the sensation shot through his body. Out and in. Mara decided that he had been in control for long enough and she flipped them both over. The move surprised Luke but he smiled up at her. Slowly, she moved up and down. Both of them moaned together as she picked up the pace, faster and faster. Luke reached up and cupped her perfect breasts, rubbing his thumbs gently across the rosy tips before moving his hands down to her hips. They moved in unison, a perfect unit as they climbed higher and higher towards ecstasy. It wasn't long in coming. "Stars, Luke! I can't hold back!"

Luke sat up and she wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Luke whispered huskily, "Don't hold back, Mara. Don't. Just keep going."

Together, they moved at as frenzied a pace as they could in that position and their voices rose in a chorus of joy and pleasure. They held each other as the tremors and the spasms died down, still gasping for air and trying to think through the cloud of euphoria that had settled over their minds. Finally, exhausted and well beyond content, they tuned together and fell sideways onto the pillows. Luke murmured, "I cannot even describe that. You – Mara, you are…"

Mara pressed a finger to his lips. Even through cloudy minds, she could tell what he meant and words weren't necessary. She kissed his brow and whispered, "I know, Luke. You are too. As hard and painful as waiting was, that was worth waiting for. Just keep holding me, Farmboy."

They gently fell asleep, still coupled and comforted in one another's arms.

 **Updated May 25, 2016**


	6. Chapter 6: Cleansing and Liberation

Mara woke first, her arms wrapped around Luke's neck and head, her legs around his waist and his forehead pressed against her breasts. She shifted a little and suddenly felt, with a little surprise, that he was still buried inside her. She grinned a little and kissed his forehead. She knew that her leg and arm were probably asleep but at the moment, she didn't care. All the memories from the previous night were playing through her head and Mara marveled at how utterly wrong she had been. She had assumed this would be Luke's first time but there was no way that was the case – not with how skillfully, carefully and easily he had taken care of her needs and desires. He had found every area, every spot, every part of her that she enjoyed being touched and had treated it with the most tender caresses. The very memory caused the stirrings of desire within her again and she gently wriggled her hips, causing Luke to involuntarily twitch inside her. It was strange sensation but a pleasant one. Mara began to kiss all over whatever she could reach – his face, his head, his ears, his shoulders and his neck. Luke woke with a groan and opened his eyes, looking at two perfect breasts. In his mind, he heard, _Good morning, Lover. Did you sleep well?_

Luke smiled at the sultry tone of the thought and at the feel of soft lips pressing against him. Not only that, she was wriggling, informing him with many tiny twitches that he was still coupled with her and ready to go again. _Yes I did. I take it you did as well._

Mara's heated response came quickly. _Oh yes. Look up here and kiss me, damn it! I want you!_

Luke gave a low chuckled and looked up just in time for her to capture his lips in a passionate kiss.

An hour later, they lay cuddled up on the bed, covered in a fine sheen of sweat that made them glisten and totally content once again. Mara was resting her head in the crook of Luke's neck and Luke had his arms wrapped around her. After a short time of contented silence, Mara whispered, "I think I owe you an apology, Farmboy."

Luke looked into her dazzling green eyes. "Why is that, Mara?"

She looked down sheepishly. "I made the assumption that last night would be your first time. I don't think I have ever been so wrong in my life. After last night, I don't think I've ever met anyone so..." And she looked for the word she wanted to use. "...magnificent."

She sighed the word out almost dreamily. Luke grinned, masculine pride filling his force presence but he didn't say anything. He could sense the questions swarming in Mara's mind and sighed resignedly. "You can go ahead and ask, Dearest."

Mara smiled and snuggled up to him. "Dearest. I like that."

She hesitated until Luke prodded her below her ribs, causing her to wriggle and squeak. "Okay, okay! No need for that, mister. I guess I'm just wondering exactly how often you have had sex."

Luke chuckled and Mara said jokingly, "I mean it must have been a lot - which means I totally misjudged you and you're a complete scoundrel and only playing at being a farm boy."

Luke shook his head. "Would you believe that I can count on one hand the number of woman I've been with?"

Mara's eyes widened. "I could only because I believe you wouldn't lie to me. Are you saying that?"

Luke nodded a little sheepishly. "Yes. During the war, we didn't exactly have a lot of time on our hands to hook up and kriff. When we did have time, I wasn't usually the one being asked."

Mara looked aghast. "You mean there are others that the women of the Alliance would rather sleep with than you? I find that hard to believe after last night. After the first one, word would spread. Woman talk, you know."

Luke rolled onto his back and Mara moved over so that she was looking down into his face. Luke ran his prosthetic hand down her spine, rubbing affectionately as he replied, "I'm just another guy. Besides, I wasn't exactly cavalier during the war. The few offers that were made, I usually turned down. I wanted it to be for the right reason and if it wasn't then I didn't want it. It's ironic because the first time, it most definitely wasn't the right reason."

Luke colored slightly and smiled. "Enough of that, though. We should probably get up. It's gotta be close to zero-nine hundred."

Mara pouted slightly and said, "But I want to know about your first time. Who was it with, was she any good – all the important stuff."

Luke laughed and wrestled her until he was sitting up, her arms wrapped tightly around him, trying to keep him from getting up. Mara gave in with a sigh and they both got up. They gathered all their clothes and put them in a washer unit before digging out more. Luke made breakfast while Mara went to the office and began going through the information and access material Sykes had given her to track the Naboo nobility's finances.

The day was quite enjoyably for them both. While the processers and programs Mara had with her combed through all the intelligence she had received from Sykes, they spent time together, teaching each other the force skills they each had that the other didn't. They dueled with lightsabers and sparred while unarmed. Most of their matches ended with them wrestling each other out of their clothes and making love to the point of exhaustion. They never got tired of it. Each time, they carried each other to the heights of pleasure, heights that they never thought it possible to reach again. When night rolled around, Mara had worked her way through only about ten percent of the data and had begun compiling a list for the RNSF. They were getting ready for bed when the turbo lift dinged. They both summoned their lightsabers and ignited them as the door opened. Jan and Kyle stepped in only to recoil with their hands up. "Woah now! No need for that."

Luke laughed and they both deactivated their weapons. Luke asked, "So how did it go?"

Kyle gave a huge grin and waved a pair of high value credit chips. "One is for fifteen thousand, that was the wine and the other is for eighty thousand – courtesy of the RNSF for delivering a heavy transport of weapons and munitions. We met Sykes again. He said they may have pinpointed the Consortium's base of operations. It's in the most uninhabited area of the swamps on the planet – a place apparently very sacred to the gungans."

Luke nodded, scratching his stubbly chin. "I hope we can move soon. The mercenary garrison is getting restless with us being here and when people get restless, they get unreasonable and stupid."

Jan nodded and handed Mara a datapad. "This is a narrowed down list of the nobles to search through. The RNSF apparently discovered a way to narrow it down to these individuals on their own."

Mara took a look. It correlated with the intel she had gathered so far and drastically decreased the work she would have to do. Jan and Kyle looked at Luke and Mara and asked, "So what were you two up to while we were gone?"

Luke couldn't keep his ears from turning red even though he did manage to his voice nonchalant as he said, "Not much. We just worked on our lightsaber techniques, did some sparring and Mara worked on the intel. We were just about to go to bed actually."

Kyle and Jan nodded. Jan covered her face as she yawned. "Where is our room?"

Mara kept a grin from her face and said, "Right this way, you two. I assume you'll be sharing a room."

They nodded tiredly. Mara led them to the bedroom the furthest away from hers and Luke's bedroom. She dropped them off and started walking away. She hadn't even made it half way down the hall before she started hearing Jan's cries of ecstasy. Whirling around, she yelled, "Shut the kriffing, force-forsaken door, DAMNIT!"

The door hissed shut and Mara could hear Luke hysterical laughter coming from their room.

The next day, they were summoned to the RNSF Headquarters. It was deep in a bunker beneath the palace. When they entered the room, the first thing the four Alliance agents noticed was a large three dimensional holo image of what looked to be a military base. Luke crossed his arms. "Is that the Zann Consortium base?"

Sykes nodded grimly. "That it is, Jedi Skywalker. This section here is fairly new." The marshal commander pointed out a large section that looked like a series block sections. "It's a slave holding area. We think they are planning on using the gungans as slaves. The base has mass driver cannons, missile turrets, a pair of planetary shield generators, a hypervelocity cannon and a planetary ion cannon. They have an airfield their as well and a several barracks buildings. Our commanders keep analyzing and trying to find a way to assault it but whenever anything is run through simulation, they always end up with a devastating defeat. We need your input."

Mara began to circle the holo map. "Tell me everything we know that this map doesn't indicate." She said. "Every single gun emplacement, the planetary shield generators and planetary guns each have a back up generator so take out the main power generator won't do any good on it's own. With the shields up and the planetary guns in place, our fleet won't be able to fire on the base with any effect;" explained Sykes.

Mara looked at them with surprise on her face. "You have a fleet?"

Sykes bristled slightly and his voice was a little gruff as he said, "Of course we have a fleet. How would we kick the Empire out of here without a fleet?"

Mara nodded. _Interesting_. She continued to circle the map, one hand on her hip, another cupping her chin. Luke began pacing the opposite direction. "How many sensor arrays do they have?"

Sykes looked a little confused. "Just the main one. Our scout ships and drones never found a second or backup one."

A grin started to cross the farm boy's face. "And I assume the main targeting array is tied into the sensor array for all the guns. Am I right?"

Sykes' confusion deepened. "Well probably but I don't know how this helps us."

Mara laughed in delight. She hugged Luke and kissed him. "You are a genius, Luke – utterly brilliant. Okay so if we can find a way to eliminate the main targeting and sensor array, they won't be able to use any of their defense guns – except the planetary ones."

Sykes nodded. "That would be helpful after we got past the shields. Besides, how are we planning on doing this."

Luke pointed out several points on the holo map. "Here is the main power generator, here, here and here are the backups for the shield generator and the planetary guns. If we take out all four of them and the sensor array and targeting array, the base defenses will be drastically handicapped."

Sykes shook his head doubtfully. "A ground assault is too risky."

Mara shook her head, her red and gold curls bouncing. "I'm not talking about a ground assault. I'm talking about a highly trained, highly effective four man team that includes the Alliance's best two intel agents and two Jedi Knights."

Sykes cocked a bushy dark eyebrow. "I thought you weren't a Jedi Knight."

Mara waved it away. "Well I am now. This is probably our only shot, Marshal Commander. If Kyle, Jan, Luke and I go in and take out those five targets, bombing runs and orbital bombardment would be able to level the base."

Sykes and the other commanders of the Royal Naboo Security Forces murmured amongst themselves before Sykes turned to them and asked, "What will you need, Jedi Jade?"

Mara was surprised to feel a small amount of pleasure at being referred to as a Jedi. "We'll need high yield demolition charges, enough to blow all named targets. We'll also need security gear so that they won't know that we are with the Alliance. It's imperative we keep that a secret. Last but not least, we'll need a distraction."

Sykes looked hesitant. "What kind of distraction?"

Luke gave a wicked grin. "How about a mass arrest of Zann Consortium Mercs? You think that will distract them enough?"

Sykes laughed but then sobered. "That will be messy. We'll have to put the royal family in the safe house suite. As soon as we're done here, consolidate your gear. You'll be staying with the royal family in their suite. There are plenty of rooms. We will finalize the plan, get you the tech you need and run a few practice drills for our forces. All in all, it's going to take a few days."

The Alliance agents nodded. "Do you need anything else from us?" Asked Luke. The Marshal Commander shook his head. "Not at the moment. We'll call you if we need help. Thank you, agents, Jedi."

The four Alliance agents strode out of the bunker. For a few minutes, none of them said anything. Finally, Kyle sighed and said, "Well this is going to be awkward – staying with the royal family in close quarters. We better make the place look spotless."

The others agreed and picked up the pace. By the time they made it back to the suite, they were running. Luke palmed the door they hurried inside, putting clothes and dishes in their proper washing units, putting away the holo films they had watched, even dusting and activating a vacuum droid. For an hour, they ran around like frenzied ewoks making the place tidy and presentable. Just as the four of them stood in the middle of the suite and surveyed their handiwork, the turbo lift chimed. In swept eight handmaidens and six palace royal guards. The lieutenant in charge said, "Jedi, Agents, we were coming to make sure that the suite was presentable but it looks like you hardly used anything. If you don't mind, we would like to move the royal family and their retinue in."

Luke nodded. "Of course, Lieutenant. We are the guests here. Please don't inconvenience them on our account. Show them in whenever they're ready."

The guard bowed. "Of course, master Jedi."

The handmaidens arrays themselves around the room and the guards did the same. Mara looked quite impressed. She leaned in and whispered, "It's a defensive formation. If an assassin were to sneak in, they would be able to spot it and subdue it before it got to any of the royal family."

Luke chuckled, "You mean those young women are expected to be able to subdue and assassin?"

Mara looked at Luke with amusement. "I'm a young woman and I could easily subdue and assassin. I WAS an assassin. If they have decent training, I doubt that I at my best could get to the royals."

Luke nodded with a whole new respect for the young women and the guards. The turbo lift chimed again and in walked more handmaidens and guards as well as several servants. Last came in the King, his wife and their daughter. The four Alliance agents bowed to them with respect. King Marious smiled benevolently. "Please, Agents, Jedi, no need to bow. We owe you a debt of gratitude for all the help you are giving us."

Luke smiled and said, "We do whatever we can for those who need our help, your Majesty. We will be sure to stay out of your way during your stay. We have no desire to intrude."

Seena, wife of the king, widened her eyes. "Nonsense, Jedi Skywalker. We couldn't ask you to do that. You are our guests and agents of our allies, the Alliance of Free Planets. I invite you to dine with us tonight and to keep company with us whenever it pleases you."

Luke tried to graciously decline but neither the king nor his wife would allow it. The cooks prepared an elaborate meal for them and four places were set at the royal family's table for them. As they ate, they made pleasant conversation. The Tahoons asked about the Alliance, its policies and battles that took place while Luke and his friends asked polite questions about Naboo and its history. After they had finished the main course and were sipping rich cups of caff or tea and waiting on dessert, Naina looked at Luke and asked, "Master Skywalker, what is it like, being a Jedi Knight?"

Luke swallowed his mouthful of caff before clearing his throat and saying, "I'm sorry, my lady. I'm not sure what you mean?"

The young woman stirred her tea as she explained. "All that power in your hands must be daunting. I heard from some of the old timers that only a Dark Jedi could kill a good Jedi – that some were strong enough to pull starships from the sky and shoot lightning from their fingertips. I heard that some of them could heal fatal injuries and bring life back to the dead."

Luke cleared his throat. "The truth is, my lady, I don't know much about the Jedi of the Old Republic. As far as power goes, I don't find it daunting. I consider it a responsibility. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely and that is where you get beings like the late Emperor Palpatine."

The royal family nodded in agreement. The emotions in the room became darker and King Marious said, "Palpatine was once a respected name on Naboo. He was a native of this world, you understand. Now his name is a black mark on our entire culture."

Luke nodded. He tried to think of a way to lighten the mood when the young princess spoke again. "I have been looking into your exploits sense we met in the hanger, Master Skywalker and thought that they had to be exaggerated. Is it true that you were only nineteen when you destroyed the first Death Star and formed the elite Rebel pilot unit called Rogue Squadron?"

Luke blushed and replied, "I wasn't alone for either of those. It's true I fired the shots but I had many friends helping me – most of them didn't make it out of that fight. We attacked with thirty Rebel ships – thirty-one if you count Han Solo and his _Millennium Falcon._ Only four of us survived the battle. As far Rogue Squadron, that was a joint effort between myself and Wedge Antilles. If it wasn't for Wedge, I never could have done it."

The princess was wide eyed. "Tell us about some of your missions. What did you do?"

Luke was uncomfortable talking about himself and his accomplishments. He cleared his throat and was about to start when Mara interrupted. "Excuse me, my lady but Jedi Skywalker is always shy when talking about himself and never does himself justice. I studied hundreds of detailed reports on this man before defecting from the Empire and let me tell you, he makes it sound like it was no big deal. Let's see:"

Mara spent the next hour and a half waxing eloquent about Luke and his missions. She told about how Moff Kohl Seirdon and his 128th Interceptor squadron were destroyed – about how twice, the Kessel prison facility was raided and Rebel prisoners were saved. She told about how he saved scientists of Debrillon by stealing an AT-ST walker and single-handedly annihilating a full patrol of elite Imperial Stormtroopers and their armored support. She mentioned the Battle of Hoth, the Siege of Yavin and the Battle of Endor. As she told that last one, she covered Luke's hand with her own and looked into his eyes. It was both meaningful to them. The young princess gazed at Luke with a look of borderline worship and he blushed and said, "Well stang, Mara. You make it sound like I was alone the whole time and did all of this on my own."

King Tahoon smiled. "You are a modest man, Jedi Skywalker. Modesty is one of the marks of true heroism. That's what we say on Naboo. You were a fighter pilot. Perhaps you would like to go for a spin in one or two of our ships."

Luke looked like a kid going for his first ride in a starship. "That would be fantastic, your Highness. Thank you."

Mara chuckled and the king said, "Of course all of you are invited, not just Jedi Skywalker. In fact, I believe at the rear of the suite is a simulation room where you can get some practice before you pilot the real thing. I'm sure you've found it already though?"

Luke shook his head, "No your highness. We didn't do too much exploring during our stay here."

The princess's face stayed pleasant though her eyes to a mischievous gleam. "You didn't explore, Master Skywalker? What did you do while you were here and your friends were making a delivery?"

Luke blushed deeply and shrugged nonchalantly. "Well we got some Jedi training in, watched a holo film – I love your collection by the way, it's fantastic – and Jedi Jade worked on some intel the Marshal Commander Sykes gave us."

The king shot his mischievous daughter a warning glance before saying, "I'm glad to hear you enjoyed your stay. Ah, here comes dessert."

It was delicious - native fruit crystalized in native honey eaten with a sweet whipped cream. As they ate, Mara and Luke talked through their link. _Telling all those stories about you makes me think of how lucky I am. You really are a remarkable young man._

Luke smiled into his food. _I couldn't have done any of it alone. I'm no more a hero than those who stood beside me and certainly no more a hero than you are._

Mara looked at Luke through her long, dark lashes and replied, _Modesty becomes you, Farmboy. Hey, I just thought of something. Want to ask the cooks if they have any extra of this fluffy whipped cream? I have a couple of things I've always wanted to try."_

The naïve and comparatively innocent Luke cocked an eyebrow slightly as he took another bite of fruit. _Oh? What would those things be, Mara?"_

Mara sent several very erotic images involving the whipped cream, making Luke choke on a piece of fruit and cough loudly. Mara looked up with a face of perfect, earnest concern, "Are you okay, Jedi Skywalker?"

Luke resisted the urge to glare at her as he managed to clear his throat and say, "Yes. Thank you, Jedi Jade. I just inhaled a piece of fruit. I don't recommend that, by the way. It won't go well."

Kyle looked at the two of them and said, "You know, you two, it isn't polite to converse through a force link while we are guests at someone's table."

Luke and Mara both blushed and Luke said, "You're right, Agent Katarn. I apologize, your Majesty, my ladies. It comes second nature and we do it without realizing sometimes."

The King looked interested. "A force link; what is that, if you don't mind me asking?"

Luke took another sip of caff before saying, "It's a link that allows two trained force users to convers mentally. It comes in quite handy. Unfortunately, one also becomes used to is and we often convers when it is not polite to do so."

The king nodded, highly intrigued. "May I ask what you were conversing about?"

Luke blushed and Mara cleared her throat uncomfortably. The king smiled knowingly and let the subject drop. The remainder of the day was spent in idle conversation before the royal family retired. When Luke and Mara got back to their room, Mara turned to Luke with a sultry grin and held up a container. "What's that?" Asked Luke mildly as he removed his boots and his socks. Mara sauntered up to him seductively, opened the container, dipped a finger in and licked the fluffy white whipped cream off in a very suggestive way. Luke's eyes became too big for his face and his grin soon followed.

The next few days were spent preparing for the coming mission. RNSF officers came in with bundles of uniforms that were darker than the regular ones. They also brought several different weapons for them to pick through. On their leisure time, Luke and Mara spent time in the simulator, learning the systems for Naboo fighters, bombers and gunships. They both thought it great fun and Luke wanted more than ever to fly the RNSF fighters. After almost a week, the four agents found themselves back in the command bunker. Sykes marched in front of them, outlining the plan. "You will be inserted twenty klicks south of the base. From there, you will ride kaduu until you are right up to the bases outer perimeter. From there, you will have forty minutes to destroy the main power generator and secondary power generators for the shield generator and the planetary guns as well as the sensor and targeting arrays. At forty minutes, a gunship will be sent to this location..." Sykes indicated a clearing in the swamp where there was a circle of large, ornately carved heads. "...where you will be picked up. The gunship will wait no longer than ten minutes so I wouldn't dawdle. Also, at exactly forty minutes, we will have N2B-3 Bombers and Scurrg H-8 Superiority Fighter/Bombers going on attack runs of the base so time is of the essence. Any questions, ladies and gentlemen?"

They shook their heads. Decked out in dark red and gray suites and armed with the best that the RNSF had to offer, not to mention a few personal weapons such as Kyle's blaster pistol and Mara and Luke's lightsabers, they were ready to go. Sykes nodded his gray head and said, "Then head to the garage. Your mission begins now and your forty five minute mark will began when you pass through the Zann Consortium's shield. May the force be with you."

They were flown in an upgraded and overhauled MAAT gunship where they were dropped at twenty klicks south of the Consortium base. There, Luke had his first experience with gungans. A half a dozen of them, warriors all, were guarding a quartet of the kaduu. "Ussen's heard about yousa, Jedi Skywalker. Tis a maxi big honor to meeten yousa."

Luke thanked them and the four agents mounted up and rode at a break neck pace towards the Consortium base. It was less than ten minutes before they saw blue brightness of the shield – less time still after they left the kaduu went through to get to the outer perimeter wall of the base. There, they used stealth field generators and ascension guns to get to the top. There was a patrol set on the walls – mercenaries walked in pairs. One pair nearly ran into them and the four Alliance agents had to lean back against the parapet. The two mercs were too busy arguing to notice the harpoons and ascension cables that stuck out of the permecrete. When they had passed, the four agents descended to the ground inside the compound and gathered in a shadow. Luke whispered, "The main power generator is closer than anything else to the sensor and targeting arrays so one of us can take both of those. The others will each pick a backup power generator and we'll all meet right back here. Any questions?"

They all shook their heads. Mara located Luke by feel and pulled him into a kiss before saying over their link, _Be careful, Farmboy._

 _You too, Dearest._ He replied tenderly. He said out loud, "I'll take the main generator and the sensors array. Each of you take a backup generator. We are now at thirty-six minutes. Let's go."

They separated, their stealth field generators keeping them out of sight. It only took Luke ten minutes to find the sensors and targeting array and to use an ascension cable to get to it. Carefully, he placed a demolition charge in the midst of the antennae and also attached one to the targeting sensors just to be sure. Using the force, he leaped down to the ground, cushioning his fall with a force push. Suddenly, he heard a wild baying sound. Through the night, streaking through the moving pools of the floodlights from the turrets on the walls came two large, quadrupedal creatures that reminded Luke of hounds. He could also tell that they were coming for him. For a split second, he hesitated, questioning between blaster and lightsaber before whipping out his lightsaber and igniting it. Somehow, the blade caused the stealth field to dissipate and Luke stood out in the opened and revealed to all surveillance in the area. As the creatures leaped, Luke eased to the side and chopped down hard, cutting one of them in two. The other sailed by before turning and lunging again. Luke chopped down frantically, barely killing it before it tore at him with its claws. Immediately, alarms starting going off everywhere. Luke cursed and ran towards the main power generator, augmenting his natural strength and speed with the force. Mercenaries fired at him on sight and he returned fire but it wasn't long before a sizable group of them were gunning for him. Mara suddenly contacted him across their link, _Just planted my charges. I'm coming for you, Luke. Hold on._

Luke snapped off a couple quick shots before sending back, _No get to the power generator. If I'm distracting them, there will be fewer to chase you and guard it. I'll see you back at the meeting spot after leading them for a chase around the base._

The emotions that laced her responding though told him that she was mad he would tell her to leave him in danger. _Understood but if you're not back at the rendezvous spot by the time my timer hits thirty-five minutes, I'm coming after you and nothing you can say will stop me._

Luke smiled and he blasted another of the big quadrupeds. _I wouldn't expect anything less, Dearest but the mission does have to come first._

After another couple shots, he took off in the direction of the hanger, inviting the mercenaries and the quadrupeds to follow with his best imitation of a Correllian yell.

Mara heard the yell and gritted her teeth. That foolhardy, Sithspawn son of a cyborg was drawing them to him. When this was all over, she was going to kick his butt immediately before she kriffed him senseless. When she got to the power generator, she planted all her remaining charges in the cooling system, knowing that if the cooling system blew, it would take only minutes for the power core in the center to melt down and cause a massive explosion. She didn't make it ten steps before her krono beeped a warning of only ten minutes left. Picking up the pace, she made it back to the meeting area. Kyle was waiting there but Jan was not yet. Due to the mass arrests of Consortium mercenaries across the planet, the base was running on a skeleton defense crew – just enough to man every other emplacement. There weren't enough to man the armored units in the garages and only a squadron each of the Skipray Blastboats and the Viper Interceptors. The rest had taken off in an attempt to provide air superiority for their brethren on the ground. Mara wondered how that had turned out for them. The krono clicked down and, almost exactly at thirty-five minutes, Jan came back but there was still no sign of Luke. Mara said, "I'am going to find him;" and was about to take off into the darkness towards the main building when explosions started going off everywhere. The backup generators went up in flames and the sensors and targeting arrays did as well. The power generator lasted less than a minute before it blew in a spectacular explosion, taking out half the hanger bay and vehicle pool as well. Mara felt icy fear grip her. Reaching out with her mind desperately, she tried to contact Luke. He didn't respond. She screamed his name with her mind and her voice but he didn't respond. Suddenly, the rest of the hanger blew up and Mara could sense him again. _Luke! What the hell happened?_

Luke came tearing out of the darkness, firing blaster bolts behind him as he went. _I'll tell you when we get out of here. Those bombers are going to be here any second._

They used the ascension cables and got to the top of the wall before descending the other side and running as fast as they could away towards the clearing. At the edge of the wood line, Luke stopped them. They could see his teeth in the dark as he grinned. "We have a few extra minutes. Watch this."

They watched as two full squadrons of bombers dropped their payloads all over the base, lighting up the night like a beacon. After two full minutes, Mara said, "We should get to the gunship to get out of here."

They arrived with a couple minutes to spare and piled in. From the cockpit, they heard the comms traffic. Several groups of mercs were putting up a stiff fight but no one sounded very concerned. The squadrons of mercenary fighters had been quickly disabled or destroyed. The liberation and cleansing of Naboo was almost already over. Luke listened intently until he noticed Mara glaring at him. He didn't bother to ask what was wrong. He knew why she was angry at him. It was a conversation for later. With a sigh, he reached across to her and squeezed her hand. To his relief and surprise, she didn't try to pull away. She did send him a thought across their link. _You and I are going to have a long talk when we get back, Luke and then I'm going to kick your butt all over the safe house suite._

Luke didn't argue, he sent contritely over their link, _I understand, Dearest._

Mara's face softened ever so slightly. Kyle and Jan looked at each other and chuckled. Sometimes, Luke and Mara's antics were just too much for them to ignore. Kyle asked, "What happened to you, Luke?"

Luke replied, "In short, most of the enemy security was chasing me around so I ducked into the hanger and threw my last charges at the fueling dump after I set them on a short timer. Fast as I could, I ran into the next room with every intention to run right through and out but I suddenly realized that I couldn't feel the force for a second. I looked around for a second but only saw cages with these odd little lizard creatures and a trio of Defilers inside. I didn't give them time to react, I just shot them. Just as the hanger blew, I made it out the other side and ran to you all."

They all nodded. Mara was glaring again. _You don't always have to be so reckless, you know._

Luke was about to reply but she glared even harder and Luke just kept silent. They landed in the royal hanger where Marshal Commander Sykes was waiting. He had a big grin on his face. When Luke, Mara, Kyle and Jan walked up, Sykes said, "Well done. That base is slag now and ninety-four percent of the mercs are dead or captured. They have no support and Naboo is liberated again – all thanks to the four of you. Oh and Jedi Jade, your files have helped us arrest over a dozen corrupt officials and nobles as well as a handmaiden who were on Tyber Zann's payroll. Did you encounter any defilers?"

Luke nodded grimly. "There were three that I saw at the Consortium base. I managed to take them out along with the remainder of their fighters and a goodly amount of fuel and ordinance."

Sykes' eyes widened. "In the time allotted, how did you manage to do that."

Luke shrugged modestly. "It wasn't that big and I was intently looking for something that would draw their attention away from the others so that they could complete the mission."

Sykes shook his head in wonder. "Well I am impressed, Jedi Skywalker. The stories and reports of your missions really don't do you justice."

Luke blushed.

It was over before the sun came up. Every mercenary had been captured, every vehicle disabled or destroyed and every fighter and bomber shot down or landed. Luke and his friends were exhausted and staggered back to the royal suite. No one disturbed them as they stumbled to their rooms, disrobed and collapsed onto their beds. Mara curled up with her back to Luke's chest and his strong arms around her as if he feared she would be snatched away in the night and Mara held Luke's hands to her breasts as if she feared the same of him. The cleansing and liberation of Naboo was over and soon they would go home.

 **Updated May 25, 2016**


	7. Chapter 7: Love and Danger

**Warning: Sexual Content Ahead. If you want to avoid it, watch for the underlined warning label before the section.**

Sometime in the middle of the day, Luke half woke, feeling Mara shivering against him. She was cold. He grabbed the blanket at the foot of the bed and spread it over them both before snuggling back up to her and going right back to sleep. When he woke next, it was to the sound of a door chime. Making sure that Mara's nearly naked body was covered, Luke said, "Come in."

A servant droid came in with a large serving tray. "Good evening Jedi Skywalker. Oh! Is Jedi Jade still sleeping?"

Mara stirred and growled moodily, "I was, thanks. Oh. That smells good."

She sat up, holding the blanket over herself as Luke took the tray from the droid and set it on a bedside table. The droid said, "The royal family wanted to make sure you were fed and comfortable as they expected you to spend the day and night recovering from your mission. Since you missed two full meals, the kitchen staff put a meal together for the two of you. I hope it is to your satisfaction."

Luke smiled. "Tell them we said thanks and thank you for delivering it."

The droid nodded its shiny head. "Very good, sir. I'll leave you to it then."

The droid walked out and Luke looked appreciatively at the tray. It was quite a spread. Taking one of the exquisitely prepared plates, Luke handed it graciously to Mara and handed her utensils as well. Mara stifled a yawn before saying, "Thanks, Farmboy. I'm so hungry right now."

Luke chuckled as he took his own and sat next to her. They ate in silence, still half in a stupor after the events of the past days. The food was delicious and the wine perfectly accompanied it. Mara kept giving Luke tiny looks between focusing on her food and drink, trying to find a way to broach the subject that was on her mind. Despite her best efforts to keep it hidden, Luke noticed it. Even so, it went on for almost ten minutes before Luke chuckled tiredly, "What's going on, Dearest? I can tell something's on your mind."

Mara chewed and swallowed her food and took a sip of wine before clearing her throat and saying, "I had every intention of kicking your near-perfect butt as soon as I felt up to it last night when we got back."

Luke managed to maintain a straight face as he nodded and said, "Okay. Did something persuade you not to or are you just giving me fair warning of things to come?"

Mara took another sip of wine before saying, "I don't want to kick your butt, Luke. I just want to hold you and never let go. I want to know that I'm never going to lose you."

Luke was a little surprised. Did something happen that he didn't know about? His meal finished, Luke set his plate and utensils back on the serving tray before scooting next to Mara and tilting her chin to look her in the eyes. "Did something happen, Mara?"

She looked into his blue eyes, her green ones shining with un-shed tears. "I saw the power generator and hanger blow and for a couple minutes, I couldn't sense you. I thought that maybe – maybe..."

Mara couldn't finish her sentence. Luke gently ushered aside her nearly empty plate and glass before wrapping her tightly in his arms. Quietly and comfortingly, he murmured to her, "I'm right here, Mara. I'm right here. Nothing is going to happen to us. We got through Endor, we can get through anything together."

Mara half chuckled half sobbed. "Yes, together."

Luke looked into her face and waited. After a few moments, Mara buried her face in the crook of his neck and shoulder and said something quietly. Luke didn't understand what she was saying. "What was that, Dearest?"

She said it again, just loud enough for him to hear her. "It just scared me so much. I was so scared because I thought you might have died and it scared me because..."

And she stopped again. Luke shifted his position and pulled her into his lap. He thought he understood. It was scary to nearly lose someone you cared about. She began to weep silently, her body shivering and Luke shushed her quietly. Suddenly, she looked up and placed a hand on each side of his face. In a shaky voice, she whispered intimately to him. "I love you so much, Luke. My life would be a dark and cold one without you."

Luke gazed into her eyes, his heart had stopped for a moment. She loved him. Slowly, a roaring filled his ears as it began to pound again. She loved him! Joy and wonder filled him – that she would say it out loud amazed him. MARA JADE LOVED HIM! Luke thought he must have been exhausted because he felt tears fill his own eyes and he wrapped her even more tightly in his arms. "Oh, Mara! My dear, dangerous, insufferable, wonderful and beautiful Mara - I can't tell you how much I love you."

Her shining eyes beamed and she kissed him tenderly. Her universe was perfect now. She had Luke and he loved her. All she needed now was to finish her meal, curl up with her love and fall back to sleep. But Luke wouldn't let her go. Even after their lips had parted, Luke held her tightly to him as if he was afraid that she would slip away. She chuckled and said, "Can I have my food back now? I'm not finished with my dinner yet."

Luke slowly let her go and lay back on the bed, a radiant smile on his face and in his blue eyes. Mara just looked at him as she ate the last few bites of food and drank the last few sips of wine. That done, she stretched out and placed the dishes back on the tray before working her way under the blanket next to Luke and pressing herself against him. A massive pair of tired yet happy sighs escaped the Jedi Knights as they began to drift back to sleep again. Whatever the galaxy would throw at them, they knew they could tackle it. They loved each other after all, and isn't that part of how loved worked?

Warning: Mature Content begins here.

Mara woke first and could tell that it was the middle of the night. Her head was against Luke's shoulder and neck and she smiled. She had told him that she loved him, and he reciprocated that love, now Mara felt an irresistible urge and need to express that love to Luke – to share it with him. Her smile turned slightly wicked as her hands rubbed along Luke's chest and stomach and arms and shoulders, enjoying the feel of his smooth skin and corded muscle. Her hand made its way back to his chest. As softly, lightly and carefully as possible, she shifted. She sat up and removed the thin, tight white shirt she had been sleeping in and the pair of tight black shorts and the garment beneath as well. That done, she cuddled back up to him the way she had been before, pressing her now naked form hard against him as her right hand slipped down his chest and she kissed and nibbled at his jaw line, his collar bones, his ears and whatever else she thought would positively affect him. Her right hand slid down his stomach to the waistline of his tight black undershorts. Grinning against the crease of his neck and shoulder, Mara slipped her hand beneath and felt the increasingly growing bulge of his aroused manhood. Luke gave a still unconscious groan as Mara took hold of it and slowly began to stroke, continuing to kiss him all the while, sometimes using her tongue to trace along his neck, ears and nibbling his collar and jaw bones. After she had him as hard, hot and ready as she thought she would, she whispered silkily, "Luke. Luke, my love - wake up. I need you. I need you so badly right now."

Luke's eyes opened and he gazed at her. He took in her messy red curls, her sultry smile, her burning green eyes and her perfect, naked body. Do to the fact that he was lying next to a smiling, willing, beautiful woman and also do to the fact that she had done whatever she could to make sure that he wanted her, Luke looked upon her with a burning desire the like of which he couldn't even describe, much less deny.

Luke leaned in and kissed her as he rolled atop her. Mara eased the under shorts down and Luke kicked them off. He kissed her again before trailing his mouth tenderly back to her ear and then down her smooth jaw. She sighed happily. "How is it that you know how to push all of my buttons, my love?"

Luke felt a thrill at those words. _My love._ He chuckled huskily and said, "I don't know. I just know that I love pushing them, Dearest."

He continued his work, using his lips and his nimble, skillful fingers to find the small points and areas that drove her crazy with pleasure and desire. Mara gasped and moaned and whimpered as he kissed and nibbled his way down her chest and to her ample breasts, suckling and nibbling her perfect rosy tips. His fingers were massaging and rubbing along her smooth legs and her rear end, putting emphasis on the most sensitive areas before he gently slipped his fingers between her folds. Mara's entire universe had transformed into one of pleasure, warmth and euphoria. Suddenly, she remembered that she was supposed to be sharing her love with him too. Trying to focus her mind through the myriad of pleasurable sensations and feelings, she gasped out, "Wait a minute, Luke."

Luke slowed as he focused on her, cocking an eyebrow. As she regained a little more control of her senses, she said, "I can't be the only one in a state of constant euphoria every time we do this. I want you to feel as good as I do."

Luke smiled at her. "I know it may not seem like it, but believe me this is every bit as good for me as it is for you, Love. Seeing, hearing and sensing how it makes you feel does a lot for me."

Mara gently moved his hand, rolled him over and straddled his hips as she replied, "Perhaps but it still isn't fair that you do all the work and I just lay there and enjoy it. Relax, my love. Let me take care of you too."

She leaned down and kissed him before trailing her own lips back along his jaw line. Luke's hands still wouldn't stay still. His fingers pressed lightly into the curve of her ribs as he ran them up towards her chest, causing her to whimper into her kiss. His own hips bucked slightly as she ground the entrance to her core against his manhood. "Stars above, Mara!" Luke gasped as she sucked gently on the hollow beneath one of his collar bones while reaching down and grasping his manhood at the same time. She left a little red mark on his chest and smiled impishly at him. "Now anyone who sees that will know that you belong to someone."

The idea caused Luke to lose what little remaining control he had. He sat up and kissed her with a searing kiss, stealing her breath away. His hands trailed up her waist and towards the front of her body until they cupped and gently massaged her breasts, causing her to moan again. It was now a very short contest to who would give in first. Luke wanted Mara so badly that several times, as he kissed her more and more desperately, he was sure he was going to flip her over and finish them both, but Luke wanted her to say that she wanted that. It was like a game – a very intense game that, no matter what the outcome, neither of them lost a thing, only gained. Mara was thinking the same thing. All she could think of was that she needed Luke to complete her. RIGHT. NOW. That was the only thing that went through her mind over and over again but she refused to give - that is until she felt his lips tease and trace around her breasts once again and she keened. Mara couldn't keep it in anymore. "Stars above, my love! PLEASE! I need..."

Luke didn't even let her finish. He laid her on her back quickly yet gently and carefully thrust, causing her to cry out incoherently and himself to gasp out a cry of his own. For a moment they gazed at each other – but just for a moment. Mara locked her legs tightly around his waist and pulled herself up against him. Luke grabbed her hips and began to move – slowly at first, making every motion deliberate and firm. Every thrust caused both of them to exclaim in wordless noises of ecstasy. As Luke drove both of them to the heights of unbridled pleasure, Mara began to whisper into his ear again and again, "I love you. Ohh! I love you. I love you. AHHH!"

Luke couldn't respond verbally, all of his concentration being on the task at hand but as they reached the very pinnacle and cried out, he managed a breathless, nearly strangled, "I love you, Mara Jade."

They both collapsed onto the bed, Mara on top of Luke as they breathed heavily and their hearts pounded. Luke laid there, his eyes barely open as his rough left hand and smooth right hand rubbed her back affectionately. Mara just lay there, allowing herself to return slowly to reality after the trip she had just gone on with her love. After they were both breathing almost normally again, they settled into a more comfortable position. Mara yawned and snuggled up to Luke, resting one hand on his chest and draping a leg over his waist. "Time?" She asked sleepily.

Luke looked at the ornate wall krono behind her and said, "Zero two local time. A few more hours of sleep but we should probably actually get out of bed later this morning."

Mara huffed in mock petulance. "What if I don't want to? What if I just want to stay in and make love to you all day?"

Luke chuckled and continued to run his smooth prosthetic hand up and down her back in a soothing motion. "Well I will probably be getting up around zero eight-ish – just to let you know."

Mara huffed again. "Fine. When do you think the royal family eats breakfast?"

Luke yawned and muttered, "Zero nine. The droid mentioned it the morning we got in. I barely heard him I was so beat."

Mara ' _hmmm'd_ ' and murmured, "So we wake up at eight, make love for an hour and then go to breakfast with the royals."

"Works for me;" murmured Luke just before slipping into unconsciousness.

End of Mature Content

They woke up around zero eight and Mara nuzzled him playfully. "How 'bout it, love?" She whispered silkily. Luke was so very tempted but he wanted to be sure they both had time to bathe and clean up. His face was covered in thickening blonde stubble which he was beginning to find irritating. With a wistful sigh, Luke said, "If we get started now, we'll never leave this room today. As much as I would love that, we need to show some level of courtesy to our host."

Mara knew that this would probably be the case but she wasn't going to miss out on a little fun at Luke's expense. She sighed dramatically and splayed her gorgeous, naked body across the bed, gazing at Luke and saying, "If you insist."

Luke's mouth was going dry. He knew that if he didn't move quickly, he would never get out of the room. Standing quickly, he went to the drawers and pulled out a tunic, pants and socks. He felt Mara's piercing eyes on him the whole time as she laid there, sprawled languidly across the bed. "You know, Farmboy, I just got a couple great ideas for a Jedi recruiting poster."

Luke burst out laughing as the implications of what she was saying hit him. He walked into the refresher and turned the shower on. Moments later, Mara moseyed on in after him. "Really though – I do. We take a holo of you without a shirt on holding your lightsaber like you're ready to save the galaxy and the poster will say 'Join Luke Skywalker and his New Jedi Order where he'll teach you the ways of the force – private lessons available.'"

Luke was still laughing pretty hard as Mara pressed herself against him and wrapped her arms around his neck and said, "I'd take a private lesson with you any day, Farmboy."

Luke put his hands on her hips and eased them both into the shower. Mara said, "You'll have every female being in the galaxy lining up and praying that they are force sensitive. For the males, just show them a lightsaber and they'll be throwing themselves at the front door."

Luke shook his head laughing, "What, no holo of you in one of your skin tight bodysuits? If I wasn't a Jedi, that would sure motivate me to try and become one. Just one of those and that little 'I've got you now' smirk and we'll have the males too. They'd lick your boots for an opportunity for a private lesson with you."

Mara cocked an eyebrow as hot water poured over her. "You've never licked my boots, Farmboy."

Luke was barely containing another fit of laughter. "Not my thing. Besides, our private lessons always come with plenty of mutual reward."

Mara couldn't argue with that. She took a container of cleanser and sniffed it. "Hmmm, I like this one. What do you think?"

Luke took a whiff and nodded appreciatively. "Very feminine. I'll just use this one."

They bathed leisurely, taking time to lather one another up, kiss as the hot water rinsed off their bodies and generally just enjoy the feel of one another's skin while it was silky and wet. Soon, however, they had to get out. Mara dried her hair and allowed the natural curls to return while Luke used a special solution to get the dark dye out of his hair and shaved all the stubble away, sighing gratefully when his face was once again smooth. His hair was still a tad short for his liking but it would grow back. He dressed in a black tunic and pants and clipped his lightsaber to his belt. Mara wore one of her skin tight black body suits and clipped her weapons on. She also threw on an odd tan garment like a scarf but it was large enough to cover her head like the hood of a robe. Luke cocked an eyebrow at it and she shrugged. "I always used to wear this. It covered my hair and hid my features so that people wouldn't recognize me at first glance."

Luke chuckled and said, "I doubt you need to worry about breakfast, Mara."

Mara gave Luke a most serious look. "You never know, my love. You never know…" then she grinned and chuckled to her old habits. "…but you're probably right."

Luke smiled fondly and kissed her cheek. "Are you ready, Dearest Love?"

Mara took his proffered arm and they went to breakfast. Kyle and Jan were already waiting. As soon as Luke and Mara walked in, the two agents started to chuckle to one another. Mara ignored them but Luke asked mildly, "How did you two sleep?"

Jan shrugged. "After the first ten or eleven hours, we didn't sleep much; how 'bout you, two? You guys sleep okay?"

Mara didn't answer and elbowed Luke lightly, trying to warn him off but he didn't notice. "We slept fine, thanks."

Kyle laughed and Jan mildly commented, "Really? I heard some interesting noises around, oh, zero-one this morning. Now I could have sworn that it was coming from your room but I guess I could be wrong."

Kyle had gained control of himself for the most part. He scratched the stubble on his chin and said, "I did too. If I remember right, the 'stars above' were mentioned frequently. I think there was a lot of begging too and maybe…"

"What are we discussing, Agent Katarn?" asked a gentle feminine voice at the entrance to dining hall. Kyle's jaw went slack as the princess strode in accompanied by two orange clad handmaidens. Jan and Luke were blushing to the ear tips and Mara was red with anger. After a few moments of tense silence, Kyle managed to say, "We… we were discussing… um…"

"It sounds like you were discussing a conversation you heard the other night – one that contained the stars above and begging. It sounds quite fascinating. We're the two involved discussing an intelligence mission for the Alliance?" asked the princess. Jan jumped on it. "Yes, my lady. It was a few months back just after the Battle of Endor. We were trying to gauge who would rise to power after the death of the emperor."

The princess nodded, quite interested in what Jan was saying. "I see, but what does that have to do with the stars above and who was begging?"

Kyle had regained his wits and said, "I'm afraid that's highly classified, my lady. It's an on-going operation and we don't want to compromise anything sensitive. I'm sure you understand."

The princess looked disappointed but she nodded courteously. King Tahoon and his wife entered as well and the king asked mildly, "Good morning, daughter, guests. What are we discussing this fine morning?

Naina curtsied politely to her father before replying, "We were discussing one of the Alliance's Special Ops missions but Agent Katarn couldn't say much about it because it was highly classified."

King Marius nodded, interested. "Really, my Dear – what was Agent Katarn able to say?"

All four of the Alliance representatives froze and turned red as a Sith lightsaber blade as the princess innocently. "Not much. Agent Katarn just mention that he heard Master Skywalker and Master Jade talking about it quite early this morning – around zero-one right? All he heard was something about the stars above and beg…"

Princess Naina stopped and turned bright red as it dawned on her what they were actually talking about. Lady Seena covered her mouth as if shocked but her eyes were laughing hard. The king simply smiled and said, "I'm sure it was quite a – mission. Anyhow, I do believe breakfast is ready and the staff are on the way. Let's sit and eat."

The food was delicious and, after the lingering awkwardness faded, the conversation was pleasant enough. Mara told a couple stories from her Imperial days as did Kyle and Luke gave a couple from his time as the Rogue Squadron commander. When the food was gone and the extra dishes cleared away, they moved to a drawing room and continued to talk pleasantly – that is until a guard came in with a grim expression on his face. "Your majesty, my ladies, Agents and Jedi, a long range message has just come from the Alliance of Free Planets warning that a Consortium fleet is being gathered and that their intel indicates they will be attacking Naboo."

Silence followed for just a couple seconds but then King Tahoon and the Alliance representatives stood and began talking all at once. Luke cleared his throat politely, putting a little bit of force behind it so that they all turned to look at him. "With all due respect, your Highness, this is a conversation best had in the command bunker, wouldn't you agree?"

The king quickly regained his composure and nodded, "Of course. Thank you, Jedi Skywalker. My dears, there is no reason to interrupt your day. I will have extra guards detailed just in case."

Jan and Kyle stepped forward slightly and Kyle said, "It would probably be a good idea for us to join them. Attacks like these are usually preempted by Consortium Defiler infiltration."

The king beamed his gratitude, "Thank you, my friends. It means a lot. Jedi, would you accompany me to the bunker? I believe we could use your insight."

They nodded and Mara said, "I need to go back to our room and get something that will help. I'll meet you there, your Highness."

Down in the bunker, Luke and the King examined holographic diagrams of Naboo's fleet. The ships had been massively overhauled and upgraded with the best that the Royal Naboo Security Forces could have manufactured or purchase. It was sizable too but the rumors of the ships that the Zann Consortium used were making the commanders of the RNSF nervous. Some even suggested surrendering and asking for leniency. The argument had grown quite hot until Mara strode in looking pleased with herself. Marshal Commander Sykes crossed his arms and asked, "Do you have some good news, Jedi Jade?"

Mara nodded and inserted a datacard into the holo-terminal. Up came a cluster of Consortium ships. They all even looked terrifying to the gathered Naboo command staff but Luke smiled with relief. "You managed to get a copy of the intel files from Kuat, didn't you?"

Mara nodded her head, still just a little smug. "I sure did, Farmboy. We have all the information we need on those ships – every single one of them. Alright, gentlemen – if I could have your undivided attention, I'm going to tell you all the gory details of these ships, starting with the Kelbade-class Star Cruiser…"

Mara went on to explain the weakness and strengths of each Consortium ship - which all seemed to have several common denominators. Every single one of them had weak shields and vulnerable engines while they had ridiculously overpowered weapons systems. In short, if the Naboo forces could hit them, they could destroy them. The problem was getting close enough to hit them. Capital ships would be easily wiped out by the Aggressor-class Destroyers' oversized ion and turbo laser weapons and the Crusader-class Corvette would easily wipe out a starfighter assault. Even with all the information they had, the commanders of the RNSF were still nervous. If nothing else, the information made them even more nervous. Mara and Luke circled the holo-projector, contemplating the possibilities. The Alliance had battled against these Zann Consortium ships several times and generally found that it was best to attack all at once and try to overwhelm them. As long as the coordination was on point, it was largely successful.

Over their force link, Luke said, _We will need to have the frigates both drawing fire from the Aggressors and attacking the Crusaders while right behind them the larger capital ships and the fighters come in, delivering the fetal blows._

Mara considered it. Luke was probably right. If they threw the bigger ships in first, they would be destroyed. The Aggressor would blast one to pieces in the first minutes of the fight and two more would be destroyed when the Kelbade-Cruisers drained their shields and blasted them apart. The Kelbades had a strange weapon that basically nullified the shields of the targeted ships and simultaneously drained the ships power to keep them from powering there shields.

That gave her an idea though. _Luke, what if we were to throw the capital ships in as a screen and then let the fighters and frigates precisely target the ships?_

 _That would lead to a lot of casualties – they'd lose three capital ships within the first twenty minutes of the battle. They may be able to eliminate the shields and special weapons but that's still a lot of lives lost._

Mara pursed her lips. Again, he was right. Strategically, her idea would be more sure of victory but it would also cost more lives. Luke's plan was less sure but more Naboo ships and security personnel would survive the battle. The Emperor's Hand would insist on her plan but the Jedi Knight looked at Luke and nodded. They both circled back around to the RNSF command staff. Luke cleared his throat, not very comfortable with talking to a group of strangers. "We aren't sure how many ships the Zann Consortium will be sending but if past experience serves, it won't be too many – perhaps a Kelbade and two Aggressors or vice versa, escorted by a half dozen Vengeance Frigates and eight or nine Interceptor IV's and maybe fourteen or fifteen Crusader Corvettes."

The commanders began to sigh in relief and one or two even scoffed. "We're supposed to be nervous about a few dozen under-shielded pirate ships?"

Mara gave the squeaky voiced man a cold look. "A battle group smaller than this wiped out a half a dozen Imp Star Twos and their full escorts without losing a single escort ship or capital ship led by a decorated Imperial Admiral because that admiral was overconfident. Please follow Jedi Skywalker's advice and do not make the admiral's mistake."

Sykes agreed. "Once we find out how many ships the enemy has, we'll be able to have a completely nailed down plan. I would like you two to be on the flagship with me for the battle."

Luke chewed his lip slightly before saying, "With all due respect, Marshal Commander, it would be best to have us in starfighters as soon as we can configure our attack patterns."

Sykes looked skeptical. "Both of you – I could really use some Jedi insight close at hand."

Mara turned to Luke and sighed, "Well, love, we both know you're the better pilot, if only barely and you are so anxious to fly one of the flashy Naboo fighters…"

Luke's face was expressionless but it didn't take their force link for Mara to sense his hopefulness and she sighed before saying, "…so I'll stay with Sykes and you can go fly in one of their toys."

Luke tried so hard, and failed so miserably, to keep a rather comical farm boy grin from crossing his face. Mara chuckled and ruffled his hair. "Go on, lover. Get in that nasty orange flight suit and grab a fighter. Don't forget R2 in your rush and contact me when you're ready. Just remember, the closer you get to dying, the more severally I'm going to kick your butt when we get back, got it?"

Luke gave her a reassuring hug and she gave him a quick, but rather heated kiss which caused Sykes and the rest of the command staff to look away uncomfortably before Luke quick-marched off to the hanger.

Within six hours, the planetary defenses were ready and Mara focused on the tactical display, looking over miniature versions of the fleet. Sykes looked back from the main viewport at her. "You know, Jedi Jade, the view is better from here."

Mara chuckled, "I can gauge the battle better from here, Marshal Commander. The whole battle can be gauged through this display. Oh stang! In coming enemy ships! Tell our boys and girls to get ready!"

Out of the stars came the Zann Consortium fleet. There was an Aggressor-Class Destroyer, two Kelbade-Class Battle Cruisers, eight Vengeance-Class Frigates, ten Interceptor IV frigates and eighteen Crusader corvettes. From each ship came Skipray Blastboats, Viper Interceptors, Rihkxyrk Assault Fighters and even three squadrons of B-Wing Superiority Starfighters that had either been stolen or illegally sold to them. Sykes cursed before saying, "Pick your targets, frigate captains. Capital ships and fighters, get ready to move in behind the screen. Jedi Jade, take the comms and call them as you see them. Jedi Skywalker, may the force be with you."

Luke's voice was grim as he replied, "May the force be with us all, Marshal Commander. I'm moving in to engage."

 **Updated May 25, 2016**


	8. Chapter 8: Again, the Heroe's

Mara watched calmly from the bridge of the Lucrehulk-Class Battle Cruiser as the battle above Naboo began in earnest. The Royal Naboo Security Forces were pitted against a fleet from the Zann Consortium and the battle was expected to be terrible. The overpowered weapons systems of the Consortium fleet could quite possibly wipe out the fleet if this counter attack was not timed perfectly. Turning away from the viewport, Mara stepped up to a large holodisplay of the battle. She was satisfied to see that a screen of RNSF frigates was drawing the fire of the enemy capital ships while zeroing in on their Crusader-class corvette escorts. Immediately behind were dozens of tiny blips that represented the Naboo's starfighters and bombers and behind them, the large holographic representations of the Naboo's capital ships. So long as everything was perfectly timed, this battle would be won with minimal losses. The age old problem was that things rarely ever went as exactly as planned and Mara kept a close eye for complications. Somewhere in that battle, Luke was zipping around in one of those flashy yellow N1-5 Starfighters. Despite knowing of Luke's prowess as a combat pilot, Mara couldn't help but worry about him.

Luke had waited until the screen of Naboo frigates were fully engaged before taking an over-watch position for a squadron of N2B-3 Bombers as they streaked towards the Consortium's Aggressor-Class Destroyer. Just as they were closing on it, the two massive guns that made up the bow of the ship fired, sending one massive Ion bolt and one massive turbo laser blast towards one of the frigates. Luke braced himself to feel a large loss of life in the force but was shocked when he saw the frigate pull to the side just in time. The ion blast caught its aft end, completely disabling the engines, but the turbo laser blast missed it close enough to leave a large carbon mark beneath it. Luke sighed with relief and sped forward, engaging the squadrons of enemy fighters that streaked after the Naboo bombers, blasting one after another into scrap. He had never liked those Viper interceptors. They were fast and had decent fire power and those buzz droid canisters wreaked havoc but, once again, they had defenses little better than a TIE fighters. One after another disintegrated under the rapid impact of his laser fire. If it weren't for the battle and the death it was causing, Luke would have been having a blast. The fighter was fast, maneuverable and handled like a dream, even better than the X-wing Luke was much more familiar with. He watched with grim satisfaction as the bombers dropped a huge payload of proton bomblets across the Aggressor's dorsal shields. As expected, the destroyer's shields dropped and the engines were obliterated. However, the two main guns were operational and they each only took a quarter hour or so to recharge. Luke spun around and dove, aiming for the two main guns. Relying on the force, he fired two proton torpedoes at each gun, hoping that it would be enough to knock the guns out. At first he thought it was until Mara's voice came over the comms. "Brace yourselves! The Aggressor is firing again!"

Luke spun away, knowing that if the cannons weren't knocked out, they would destroy the nearest frigate or even frigates in a single blast. Suddenly, as the cannons attempted to fire, the damage he had done caused them to back fire. From forward to aft, the Aggressor blew apart, shrapnel flying in all directions. The damage was enough to cause the nearest Kelbade-class star cruiser to lose its shields.

Luke gritted his teeth. _This is most definitely NOT a good place to be._ He was dodging debris from the Aggressor as it blew beside him, trying to avoid being smashed or forced against either the shield or the haul of the Kelbade. _Oh boy, that was WAY too close._ Out loud, he said, "Artoo, how are we looking?"

The little droid tweetled back that they were undamaged but their shields had taken a pounding and were low. Luke nodded. Checking his sensors, he watched as the two Kelbade cruisers closed the gap left by the Aggressor and intensified their fire. Several of the Naboo frigates had been destroyed and more were being crippled by the mass driver cannons that the Consortium favored. Mass drivers fired superheated metal slugs that pounded hard against shields and hull plating. Where laser fire dissipated off, deflected off or absorbed into shields, the superheated slugs took a lot more energy to be stopped and therefore brought shields down far more quickly. Luke angled his shields forward, identified the mass driver cannons of the nearest Keldabe and flew directly toward them. As soon as he was in range, he opened fire, blowing several of them apart just in time for a flight of N1-5 fighters to release a payload of proton torpedoes, doing major damage to its primary weapons and shield scrambling/draining array. The other Keldabe had been raked by bombing runs from two separate squadrons and it wasn't in any better shape. This battle was going almost too well. Luke frowned and tucked his feelings of unease away to focus on the fight.

Mara was getting increasingly anxious. Hearing Luke's thoughts of 'This is most definitely NOT a good place to be;' and 'Oh boy, that was WAY too close;' hadn't helped her worry for him. She was going to have to have a word with him when this was all over. As far as the whole of the battle went, it was going surprisingly well. When most plans were made, there was expected to be some need for improvisation but this one had gone almost flawlessly without near the expected losses. None of the enemy bombers or strike fighters had gotten near the command ship and the NX-5 Police Interceptors had been able to keep most of the main capital ships safe from enemy attack. Either this enemy commander was incompetent or he had something up his sleeve. Mara's anxiety continued to build.

Luke had flown a few hundred kilometers away from the fight to get a good overview of the battle. It looked to be going far too well yet the enemy didn't retreat or call in reinforcements – at least no reinforcements came to the Consortium commander's aid. Something was up and he didn't like it. Once again, he streaked back into the fray, blowing apart one enemy fighter after another. He pursued a squadron of stolen B-wing fighters between the two Kelbades when they both suddenly exploded. For a split second, Luke nearly lost control as debris pounded against his already weakened shields. An alarm sounded as the shields collapsed and Luke pushed hard on the stick, trying to get below the debris field. It worked but only just barely. One of his engines was smoking badly and all his weapons systems were down. As soon as he could breathe again, he said into the comms, "Marshal Commander Sykes, this is Colonel Skywalker; I'm going to need an escort back to the flag ship. My fighters in pretty banged up shape."

The reply was quick in coming. "One is on the way now, Colonel. Do you need a tow?"

Luke chuckled. "No, I'll make it back. I'm sorry I trashed one of your fighters."

A deep chuckle came from the other end. "You still returned it in better condition than most pilots in your boots. Don't worry. We'll fix it or scrap it."

On board Sykes' flagship, Mara was all but chewing her nails. When she had felt the waves of strained anxiety from Luke, she had nearly burst into tears with fear and helpless frustration. When she felt the relief rolling off of him, she had to take a dozen deep breaths to avoid from sobbing with her own relief. She was definitely going to have a word with him. Suddenly, the comms officer called over. "Jedi Jade, there is a long range transmission from Alliance High Councilor Organa."

Mara quickly went to him and took the call. "This is Jedi Jade. How are things going at Endor, Leia?"

The ghostly image of the rebel princess smiled at her. "Hello Mara. Jedi Jade, huh? Luke finally got to you. I was wondering how long it would take."

Mara tried to scowl but couldn't. "Yes, your brother seems to have that kind of effect on people."

Leia laughed. "How is the mission going?"

Mara couldn't help but smirk ever so slightly as she replied, "We're wrapping up a space battle with the Zann Consortium right now and that, I think, will end their threat against the people of this system and world."

Leia cocked a dark eyebrow. "So Naboo is free again. Good. I was wondering why you four hadn't returned yet. I'm guessing the Naboo will make you stay for a celebration too. Anyhow, tell Luke I said happy belated birthday and I can't wait to give him his gift or to open mine from him."

Mara hesitated only a moment before saying, "I'll make sure I do that, Leia. Happy belated birthday to you, by the way."

Leia wasn't fooled by Mara's recovery. "Luke never mentioned it was his – our birthday earlier last week, did he?"

Mara shook her head. "No he didn't"

Leia sighed ruefully. "Well I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Until he joined the rebellion, birthdays were never a big deal in his life. In fact, I think he told me that his first birthday party was when he turned twenty and it was Rogue Squadron that threw it for him."

Mara chuckled at the thought of a naïve farm boy Luke Skywalker surrounded by the rough and rowdy fighter jocks of Rogue Squadron. "Well I can empathize with that. The emperor never celebrated birthdays, not even his own. Truth is I'm not even sure when my birthday is or how old I am. I just know that I'm either twenty-two or twenty-three."

Leia gasped slightly, her dark eyes large with surprise. "Mara, that's terrible!"

Mara just shrugged. "I don't know. I didn't know what I was missing so I never really missed it. Anyhow, I'll pass your message on to him. Thanks for the call, Leia."

The princess smiled again and said, "Take care of yourself, Mara. Take care of my brother too. We both know how reckless Luke can be."

Mara laughed. "It's one of the reasons I love him so much. Bye, Leia."

The shocked look on Leia's face in response to what Mara said only registered after the comms station had been deactivated. She frowned slightly. Rumors about her and Luke's relationship were already spreading throughout the fleet. She wasn't sure how she felt about an admission of love being spread along with it. All such thoughts vanished from her mind as Luke strode onto the bridge, still wearing the orange flight suit and carrying his flight helmet tucked under his arm. R2-D2 rolled silently beside him. Taking a few deep breaths, Mara walked up to Luke with a pleasant smile on her face, hugging and kissing him chastely. Luke wasn't fooled. He wrapped her tightly in his arms and whispered, "I'm sorry if I worried you, my love. I wish I could find a way to shield you from that part of my mind."

Mara laughed lightly. "I'd much rather be able to keep tabs on you than sit her biting my nails over what terrible things might possibly be happening to you. Anyhow, you're here and the battle's almost over."

They separated and Marshal Commander Sykes strode up with a satisfied expression. "The enemy ships are beginning to retreat with heavy losses and our losses were minimal. I thank you both once again for your assistance, Jedi. We would still be under the Consortium's thumb if not for the two of you."

Luke smiled. "It was a pleasure, Sir."

Sykes clasped his hands behind his back and said, "Well your friends are on their way to pick you up and the king wants to see you as soon as you land. He asked that you please land beside the royal yacht in the royal hanger. If you were honored guests before, you are thrice honored and celebrated heroes now."

Luke blushed and ducked his head slightly, embarrassed by the high praise. Sykes laughed and clapped him on the shoulder before pausing and asking, "I've been meaning to ask since you got here: you aren't related to Anikan Skywalker, Jedi Knight and hero of the Clone Wars are you?"

Luke looked up with interest. "He was my father. Did you know him?"

Sykes nodded. "Oh I knew him. He was the favorite Jedi of Senator Padme Amidala. She always requested him for dangerous missions or when her life was being threatened – which was quite often in retrospect. Some of the racier holo tabloids even claimed that they had a secret romantic relationship. Anyhow, I served with your father during several engagements throughout the war. He was one hell of a Jedi and pilot."

Luke and Mara looked at one another before Luke turned back to Sykes. "What was my father like? I never knew him. I was raised on Tatooine by my aunt and uncle."

Sykes narrowed his eyes and _hmmm'd._ "He was tall and confident. Not bad looking or at least so the ladies said. He had a scar on his right eye as if it was grazed by a blade or something. He was compassionate and kind to a fault and loyal beyond anything I've ever seen to his master and to his soldiers. Obi-wan Kenobi was often exasperated by him. Apparently Skywalker took the textbook of war and threw it out the airlock before writing his own."

Mara was looking at Luke with amusement in her emerald green eyes. Sykes chuckled at the look. "I take it that the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree."

Mara shook her head. "No. Not at all. With the exception of tall, you pretty much just described Luke."

Sykes chuckled. "I believe it. There was one battle during the war where a group of Separatist war droids were on a nearby world trying to steal its resources. With myself and a group of Bravo Squadron pilots, General Anikan Skywalker and his padawan Ahsoka Tano led a counter attack. Of course, it was just a trap laid by General Grevious to try and kill Skywalker. Well, to make a very long story short, it didn't work. Skywalker and Tano and their troops scrapped the enemy on the surface and we took care of the cruisers with the help of a few squadrons of clone pilots."

Luke was enthralled by the older man's stories of his father. He didn't even notice that Kyle and Jan had walked onto the bridge. Sykes chuckled and said, "Well it appears your ride's here. We'll talk more about Anikan Skywalker later, Jedi Skywalker. Just know that he was a good man and a powerful warrior and that you do credit to his name."

Luke felt a swell of pride. He thanked the marshal commander and left the bridge with his three companions. They headed straight for the hanger and to Luke's freighter. While on board, Luke showered and changed into a set of Alliance military fatigues. That done, he went to the cockpit and plopped down into the copilots seat next to Mara. She smiled at him and took a hand off the yoke to affectionately squeeze his left hand. Luke returned the squeeze. After a few moments, Mara brought up the issue that had bothered both of them. "That battle was way too easy. Where were their reinforcements? Why didn't he retreat? Something's going on inside the Zann Consortium and I have a very bad feeling about it."

Luke agreed. "Yes. There is a great and terrible disturbance in force. Remember what Anikan Skywalker told us the last time he appeared to us? An ancient evil is coming. I'm beginning to wonder if it's already here."

Mara gazed at him, watching as creases of worry lined his face. He looked older than his twenty-four years - wiser and more mature as well. For just a moment, gone was the naive farm boy who she often teased, replaced by a Jedi Knight whom she respected and admired. After a few moments, Luke sighed and said, "Well Qui-Gon Jinn said he would be returning with four others to give us help. When they show up, we know that the threat is upon us."

Mara nodded and squeezed his hand again. They landed shortly thereafter. Awaiting the four of them at the bottom of the boarding ramp were a dozen guards who escorted them to the throne room of the Theed Palace. There waited the King, Marious Tahoon. He was overjoyed to see them. "My friends and honored guests I cannot express how grateful I am nor how indebted I am to you and the Alliance of Free Planets. Without you, we would still be wallowing in corruption and I would continue live in fear. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you. I also want to thank you, Agents Katarn and Ors. My wife said that you prevented mercenaries and a Defiler from kidnapping or killing her or my daughter. I am deeply in your debt."

The king gave a low bow which the four visitors returned reverently. When he straightened, he smiled and spread his arms slightly. "In three days, there is going to be a celebration the like of which we haven't seen since the Empire fell. The four of you are going to be the guests of honor. Therefore, you will spend the next couple days with my wife and daughter purchasing suitable attire. I assume you didn't bring anything suitable with you…"

Luke lifted a hand. "I brought an Alliance dress uniform. Not sure why I did, just scooped it up and brought it on board when we were preparing to leave I guess."

The king clapped his hands. "Excellent! The rest of you, I'm afraid, will have to endure my wife and daughter on one of their shopping sprees. May the force be with you. Now I expect you are all tired. Your belongings and gear have been moved to a pair of suites in the palace. Jedi Skywalker, could you stay for a few moments?"

Luke nodded and the others left the throne room. Through their force link, Mara said, _Don't keep me waiting too long, Lover. I'm getting a little… restless._

Luke hid a smile as they left and turned to find the king looking at him. With a kindly smile, the king said, "Did you know that when you and Jedi Jade communicate through the force, you get a mild look of concentration on your face? She gets a similar one too. Anyhow, come and sit with me, please."

They went over to a table and sat and the king poured them each a class of wine before saying, "Mon Mothma informed me that she would be sending an envoy to help negotiate our joining of the Alliance of Free Planets and that they would be here within a week. She volunteered you and your team to stay until they arrive. I hope that it's no trouble."

Luke smiled politely and said, "Of course not. It would be an honor."

The king smiled with pleasure and sipped his wine. "President Mon Mothma also informed me that it was your and your twin sister's birthday early last week. Is that so?"

Luke took another sip of his wine before saying a little apprehensively, "Yes that is the truth, your highness. We both turn twenty-four."

The king nodded and said, "Well allow me to wish the two of you a happy belated birthday and to make you an offer, Jedi Skywalker. You do not seem like someone who would enjoy the pomp and ceremony of an official celebration so instead, for a few nights after the party, I am going to give you the use of the one-time Imperial Suite of the palace. It has not been used since the last time the emperor visited and all of the Imperial décor has been removed and replaced by something else. It is even grander than our own royal suite and I'm sure you and Jedi Jade would appreciate a few days of anxiety free relaxation."

Luke was stunned. After a moment of silence, he said, "You honor us greatly, your highness. I graciously accept your offer with many thanks."

The king nodded happily before the door chimed. "Ah, that will be Sykes."

King Tahoon tapped a bottom on his chair arm and the door opened, allowing Sykes and a guard to enter. The guard had a hover skid with a sizable container on it. Sykes motioned to it. "Jedi Skywalker, I have had this stored away for years since the massacre of Naboo at the hands of the Empire. My guards and I gathered them and hid them in a storage locker deep in the maintenance bays of the royal hanger. I want you to have it. Maybe it will help in returning the Jedi to the galaxy."

Luke went over and opened the box. When the top opened on its hinge, the front of the box also swung down, revealing several drawers. Pulling them open one at a time, his wonder increasing with each drawer, Luke realized that he was looking at the broken down components of lightsabers. Though it was hard to get an accurate count, he was sure there were enough to make a couple dozen at least. Turning to Sykes, Luke proffered his hand and said, "I don't know how to thank you for this, Marshal Commander."

Sykes' eyes were filled with emotion as he said in an unusually gruff voice, "If it weren't for you, I would still be living in unending fear for my children and grandchildren. I am looking forward to the first good night of sleep I will have had in over twenty years."

The king nodded and said, "It is our way of thanking you, Jedi Skywalker. Now I'm sure you want to go to your rest. You are free to go with your friends and my wife and daughter if you wish tomorrow but I wouldn't blame you if you declined. Anyhow, rest well, Jedi Skywalker."

They both stood and bowed to one another and Luke took his leave, pushing the hoverskid and box before him. He quickly stowed it on his freighter before hurrying to the quarters prepared for him and Mara.

Mara had thoroughly explored the suite and it was even more luxurious than the one she lived in as the Emperor's Hand. Changing into a red tank top and comfortable sleep pants, she went and sat on the extremely comfortable couch, waiting for Luke to walk through the door. She wanted to talk to him about his birthday and needed to plan something special for him. Birthdays may not have been a big deal in either of their early lives but she wanted to take this opportunity to show Luke exactly how much he meant to her. She wanted to show that, to her, he was a big deal. Just how she would do that, she wasn't sure.

There it was, finally – Luke's presence was right outside the door. Rousing herself from her light doze, Mara sat up and pulled her hair back into a tail before lounging languidly across the couch. Luke's cheerful whistling stopped as he caught sight of her. With a contented smile, Luke went over to her, leaned down and kissed her tenderly, allowing it to linger until he needed to breathe again. Mara smiled and said, "Go get changed into something more comfortable, my love. There is something I would like to talk to you about;"

Luke nodded and quickly changed into a pair of lounging pants and a simple short sleeved shirt. When he had returned, Mara sat up and patted the spot next to her, asking him to sit down. With a tired yet happy sigh, Luke sat next to his beloved. Mara smiled and eased herself into his lap before running one hand through his hair and pulling him into another kiss. This wasn't exactly talking, but Luke wasn't going to complain. After several long minutes of silence and tender affection, they separated and Mara whispered, "I learned today that you have been withholding some fairly important information from me, Luke Skywalker."

Luke frowned slightly, trying to recall something he had inadvertently kept from Mara. She sat their smiling, allowing him to puzzle it out for a few minutes until he finally said, "I give up. What was I keeping from you?"

Mara grinned and said, "Was it or was it not your birthday over a week ago? That's pretty important, you know. For shame that I had to hear it from your sister, too."

Mara made a tut tuting noise and shook her head in feigned sadness. Luke was relieved. He had been worried that he had forgotten something extremely important. "Yes it was and I'm sorry that I neglected to tell you. Until I joined the Alliance, birthdays were never really all that big of a deal. I guess I'm still getting used to the idea that they are something special and worth celebrating."

Mara nodded. "I know what you mean. The emperor ignored birthdays, including his own. He never even told me mine –"

Luke looked down at her aghast and interrupted, "What? Mara, that's terrible! You don't even know your date of birth?"

Mara chuckled and ruffled his sandy blond hair. "You're so adorable. No I don't know my birthday. I guess how old I was didn't hold any importance to Palpatine. I'm pretty sure I'm either twenty-two or twenty-three but I can't really be sure unless I decide to go to a med center and let them find out through a series of rather unnecessary tests."

Luke was beginning to grin bigger and bigger. Nuzzling her neck below her ear, he whispered intimately, "I just got an idea. What if you and I were to celebrate both of our birthdays together from now on – at least until we learn yours?"

Mara kind of liked the sound of the idea but she was still a person who did not like being in the spotlight. "I don't know, Luke. I don't like being the center of attention, especially not in large or official groups."

Luke chuckled and said, "I didn't mean we throw joint celebrations or anything, Dearest. I meant that you and I celebrate together in private. I mean if you want to have a small get together with our closest friends, I wouldn't object but certainly no huge parties or anything. Jeesh, gives me shivers just thinking about the idea."

That sounded better to her. "We can talk about it, sure. My question is, what are we going to do this year?"

Luke smiled and said, "Well there is this suite in the palace, one that was supposedly only ever used by the emperor himself –"

Mara gasped, her eyes wide with surprise. "The Imperial Suite? The king gave us access to the Imperial Suite? There is no way!"

Luke smiled and wrapped his arms more securely around her. "He seems to be very grateful for the part we played in the liberation and cleansing of Naboo. He also said that no one has used it since the emperor died and that it is the finest suite in the palace."

Mara's eyes had taken on a dreamy look as she remembered. "Oh it sure is. Palpatine rarely visited but when he did, he stayed in that suite. The one time he brought me, he gave me one of the side bedrooms to use when I wasn't on mission. If I remember right, I learned that Ysanne Isard had visited him while I was investigating a corrupted garrison commander in a nearby system. Anyhow, that suite has pools that are filled from the river the palace is on. The water is treated and heated to just the right temperature. It has its own garden too. Basically everything anyone could want for comfort and leisure, that suite has it."

Luke grinned and said, "Well it's all ours after the celebration. How is that for a birthday celebration?"

Mara's eyes focused on his and she smiled. Leaning in, she whispered, "I promise you that you will NEVER forget your twenty-fourth birthday celebration, lover. Now come on – it's late and I'm tired. Let's get some sleep and tomorrow, we go shopping."

Luke was surprised to hear some excitement in her voice. "You like shopping?"

Mara giggled. "Of course. What woman doesn't like shopping? Come on. It's cold in that bedroom and I need you to keep me warm."

The next two days were busy but the lack of anxiety made it quite enjoyable for the four Alliance representatives. Kyle endured being pulled around from place to place by ten women with good grace as they all tried to find something they thought would be suitable for him. Early on the first day, almost immediately after they got to the huge market area of Theed city, Luke had said, "There are a few things I'm looking for. I'll catch you ladies later around lunch time. Have fun Kyle."

Kyle had to bite his tongue to resist cursing Luke out for leaving him alone with Mara and Jan, Lady Seena and Princess Naina and six orange clad handmaidens. Luke spent the morning searching for something he needed before he and Mara were to have their stay in the Imperial Suite. At lunch, princess Naina asked, "What was it you were looking for, Jedi Skywalker?"

Luke smiled and leaned in, whispering so that Mara, who was in a nearby stall haggling for some item or another with a vender, wouldn't be able to hear him. "I'm trying to find a special lightsaber crystal for her. You see, we are both going to be celebrating our birthdays after the victory celebration the day after tomorrow and I want to be able to give it to her."

Naina nodded and frowned ever so slightly. "But Jedi Jade already has a lightsaber. Why would she need a crystal for another one?"

Luke replied, "Because that lightsaber was given to her by someone who betrayed her. She has expressed the desire to build her own to me several times and I would like to help her do that for her birthday. I have everything I need but a special crystal."

Naina nodded thoughtfully. Turning to her mother, she whispered, "Mother, where do you think they would have special crystals in this market district? The maintenance shops perhaps?"

Seena pursed her lips for a moment before saying, "There is a weapons maintenance shop you can try or any other maintenance shop that sells crystals for cutting tools. I would also try some of the shops that sell random merchandise. You never know these days what junk and antique stores may have these days."

Luke thanked them both just as Mara walked in, a pleased smirk on her face as she placed an item in one of her pocket. She sat down beside Luke and looked at each of them. "Did I miss an interesting conversation?"

Luke shook his head mildly. "Nope, just asking about some of the local shops and such; how has your day been?"

Mara smiled secretively, "It's been alright but I think you should spend the rest of the day on your own, Luke. I kind of want what I'm wearing to be a surprise."

Luke chuckled. "Fair enough. I have a few things I've been looking for anyway. So what's for lunch?"

Lunch was delicious and they enjoyed the atmosphere. Out in public, Seena and Naina acted like regular Naboo people, albeit with more poise than most and everywhere they went, people showed them the greatest respect. The first day was a bust for Luke. No matter where he looked, he couldn't find what he was looking for. There were plenty of usable crystals to be had but he wanted a special one. He wasn't even sure how he'd know it but he just knew that he would. When they were back in the suite they shared, Mara tried to get the information out of him every way that she knew how besides painful or intrusive interrogation techniques. "Is it a living, breathing thing?" she asked silkily while she ran a light hand over Luke's chest. Luke chuckled, "Mara, as much as I'm enjoying this, you're not going to find out. Just be patient and you'll learn and I promise you'll be much happier."

Mara pouted slightly. "But Luke, I'm and INTELLIGENCE OPERATIVE. Not knowing is driving me crazy. Can't you just give me a tiny hint?"

She had wrapped her arms around him and was gazing beseechingly into his eyes. Luke refused to waiver. Finally, Mara said, "Fine. No loving for you tonight, Luke Skywalker."

Luke protested immediately. "Hold on, now. That's hardly fair. I don't hear you offering up all the info on what you were getting today."

Mara humphed. "That's because it's for you - at least in part anyway."

Luke grinned and gave her a wink. Mara understood and attacked him again, "Oh come on, you nerf – not even one little hint?"

Luke sighed and wrapped his arms around her slim waist before saying, "It's something you mention that you want fairly frequently."

Mara threw her arms up dramatically. "Oh that was SOOO helpful, Farmboy. I frequently mention wanting dozens of things – new deck plating on the _Ouster,_ a personal starfighter in case of emergencies - the list goes on. That's not helpful."

Luke just chuckled. Mara knew that once Luke set his mind to something, no amount of simpering or cajoling was going to change his mind. With another dramatic sigh, she said, "Fine, I'll wait. This better be good if you're going to make me stew in curiosity, Skywalker or there will be hell to pay."

Luke wasn't worried. He brushed her hair out of her face and kissed her forehead tenderly. As it always did, that immediately changed Mara's mood. She smiled and hugged him to her. Luke chuckled. "I hold the galaxy's deadliest woman in my arms. Sometimes, with the way you act, I would never have guessed that you were the emperor's most talented assassin and intel agent."

Mara smiled. "It's because you bring out the best in me, my love. Sometimes it scares me, how you make me feel. It's like I'm soft clay waiting to be molded by you and changed by you."

Luke kissed her forehead again and murmured, "But why in the universe would I want to change you? I love you exactly how you are now, Mara my love."

Mara smiled even bigger and rested her forehead against the side of Luke's neck and head. "You always know exactly what to say, Luke. Come on. Let's see if you always knowing what to say will translate into always knowing what to DO."

Luke pulled her into a blistering kiss before whispering, his voice rough with desire, "I think you and I both know that it will."

The next day was spent much the same way. The ladies, and poor Kyle, went clothes and accessory shopping while Luke continued his search for a lightsaber crystal. He grew increasingly discouraged as the day went on and at one point, Mara, who sensed his mood through their force link asked him, _Are you okay, Luke? I can sense your frustration and we're at least four klicks apart._

Luke took a couple deep breaths and replied, _I'm just looking for something specific and I can't find it. It's getting frustrating, that's all._

 _Chin up, Farmboy. Whatever it is, it can't be worth getting so upset about. I'm sure if you just relax, you'll stumble on whatever it is._

Luke laughed allowed as he walked into a small shop in the corner of one of the market squares. The store was owned by and ancient toydarian who gave Luke a strange look before looking away. "My apologies, Master Jedi. You just reminded me of someone I knew many, many years ago. What can I help you find today?"

Luke shrugged hopelessly, "I was wondering if you have any Adegan, Sullustan, Kaiburr or Ilum crystals. If not those, than if you have any at all."

The toydarian nodded his head and wiggled his snout as he checked a datapad. "I don't have any of the kinds you mentioned. However, I have a crystal that I keep displayed on my counter over here. I believe they call it a Opilla crystal. It's very beautiful and I hear that Jedi used to use them to power their lightsabers. I got it from a fugitive from Dantooine ages ago. What do you think, Master Jedi?"

Luke examined the crystal. It was a dark violet color and it looked to be perfectly cut. Luke turned to the toydarian. "How much for it, sir?"

The toydarian looked a little smug as he did some calculations on his datapad before stating confidently, "Ten thousand."

Luke didn't argue, he simply pulled a credit chip from his pocket and handed it over. The toydarian looked excited enough to do a jig. He carefully placed the crystal in a small padded box and placed that box in a leather pouch which he graciously handed to Luke. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, Master Jedi. Feel free to look around. Who knows what else you may find."

Later that evening, when Luke walked into their suite smiling and humming cheerfully, he was pleased to smell something delicious coming from the kitchen. Along with the smell was the sound of singing. Curious, Luke followed his ears and his nose, entering the kitchen and stopping open mouthed at what he saw. Mara was there singing to herself as she bent down and checked whatever she had in the oven. Luke never knew she had such a lovely singing voice or that she even liked to sing. The same went for cooking. She had an apron on and everything as she turned to face Luke. "Hello, lover. You seem to be in a much better mood today;" she all but cooed happily. Luke smiled and said, "I had no idea you sang or cooked."

Mara chuckled and wrapped her love in a hug as she replied, "I do both. As far as the cooking goes, I tend to let you cook. Saves me the trouble and you enjoy it more. Tonight, I figured I would cook for you before I helped you get caught up on your dancing skills."

Luke half chuckled, half groaned. It wasn't that he was a terrible dancer, it was just that he always dreaded making a fool of himself and his partner. Mara kissed him and said, "Now, now if you do without too much complaint or trouble, I have a surprise for you later."

Luke's grin returned, "Oh? What kind of surprise?"

Mara winked her long eyelashes and said, "Behave like a good little farm boy and you'll find out. Now come on, help me set the table."

The food was delicious and they enjoyed a quiet dinner together. Luke cleaned up the dishes while Mara disappeared into the bedroom. When he had finished, Luke went out to the main area and pushed a couple of chairs and a low table out of the way to make more room. A quiet throat clearing behind him cause Luke to turn. The sight before him caused him to freeze completely, his jaw completely slack. Mara was standing there, her hip cocked seductively and wearing what appeared to be a dancer's outfit – the kind that Luke hadn't seen since Jabba's palace. It wasn't the blue and mesh outfit she had warn there. It was much closer to the one Leia had warn as the slug's captive. With swinging hips, Mara walked up to him and took his hand. "Will you practice dancing with me now, Farmboy?"

Luke dumbly nodded his head as she placed his hands in the correct positions. In the silkiest, most sultry purr, Mara led him through a half a dozen dance techniques and varieties. Luke tried to pay attention to what she was teaching him and, to his credit, was able to, but the way Mara was teaching him made it difficult to pay attention to the actual words she was saying because of the tone she said them with. By the time they stopped dancing, no verbal words were passing between them. Their lips were to firmly attached and anything Mara had to say, she did through their link in the force. As they devoured one another's lips, Mara slowly maneuvered Luke to the couch before separating them by gently pushing him down onto it. "You did pretty well, Luke. Better than I thought you would to be honest and you didn't complain, whine or gripe even the least bit. Like a promised, I have a surprise for you."

Luke looked a little confused and Mara chuckled huskily, "No, Luke, this getup is not the surprise."

With a flick of her wrist, she activated a music player with the force and began to dance again. Luke had dreamed about this many times but dreams couldn't prepare him for the real thing. Mara spun and swayed and twisted and weaved to the music as Luke leaned forward, watching in rapture. After some time, the music changed just slightly and so did Mara's dancing. One piece at a time, the outfit she was wearing came off until, bare to the world, she danced before him. As the song came to an end, she sat down on his lap, straddling his hips, kissing him ardently and methodically removing Luke's own clothing. Mara pulled away from his lips just long enough to whisper, "I've wanted to do that for you for months, Luke. Did you enjoy it?"

Luke kissed her again before replying, "I've had dreams about you dancing for me, Mara but they were nothing compared to this."

Mara looked pleased. Soon, they were both equally unclothed and Luke lifted her as he stood to his feet and carried her to the bedroom, still kissing her ravenously. Tomorrow couldn't come and go soon enough. They both eagerly looked forward to being able to spend time together without having to worry about being disturbed by anyone.

 **Updated May 25, 2016**


	9. Chapter 9: Happy Birthday, My Love

Luke put the finishing touches to his Alliance military dress uniform. It was black with a white outer coat, a sliver mesh belt and a gold shoulder sash that matched his colonel's insignia. Across the sash was a myriad of medals and awards for services rendered to the Alliance. The last piece of the uniform was a gold colored medallion that went around his neck, the award he had earned by destroying the first Death Star. Sighing, Luke examined himself in the mirror. No matter how often he wore it, he never got comfortable in it. The pants and outer shirt always felt just a little snug, the boots were not comfortable and the outer coat was too warm. Worst of all, he felt he looked ridiculous in it. Suddenly, Mara's thoughts came over their mental link. _What's the matter, Farmboy? I can sense anxiety coming off of you in waves._

 _Oh nothing. I just always feel so self-conscious in this uniform. I hate attention being drawn to me and I always feel a little nervous and feel like I look ridiculous._

Amusement was the response to his confession. Mara might actually be laughing at him. ' _Ridiculous' isn't a word I've heard used to describe you in that uniform, my love. Handsome, heroic, dashing, roguish – all those I have but not ridiculous. In fact, I'm pretty sure 'sexy' and 'ravishing' were also mentioned a couple times._

Luke frowned. Who exactly had Mara been talking to that would have seen him in his dress blacks and would describe him that way? _Indeed, Dearest? And who did you hear so eloquently describe me and my uniform?_

More amusement and just a small amount of smugness came over their link. _Well there was that supply specialist Deena Shan. She mentioned it from the celebration of the destruction of Moff Seerdon. Kasin Moor also mentioned it, as did Agent Winter Detric._

Luke suddenly felt very embarrassed at the list of names of those who apparently admired him or had admired him. Mara's amusement suddenly vanished, replaced by a cautious curiosity followed, once again, by amusement. _Is that the beginnings of a list of Luke Skywalker's former lovers?_

Luke had promised that he would never lie to Mara, even about something like this. Sighing, he sent back: _It could be, my love._

 _MY, MY, MY Skywalker! Here I thought you were this chased farm boy – so innocent and pure. Now I find out that isn't so true. What am I ever to do with you?_

Luke chuckled at Mara's own naivety. _You really DID think I was a virgin our first night, didn't you? WOW! I might have been a farm boy and I'm still no Correllian or anything but I'm not a hermit either, you know._

Mara didn't respond. She simply sent a very amused and slightly embarrassed acknowledging thought. Luke suddenly heard Kyle clear his throat behind him. Luke turned and grinned, letting out a low, good natured whistle. Kyle was wearing a very fashionable dress tunic, pants, boots and even a sash rather than a belt. He looked even more uncomfortable than Luke had felt. "Oh Jan is going to love you in that, Kyle."

Kyle blushed and _hmphed_ before grinning at Luke and saying, "You know, those uniforms look even better than Imperial dress uniforms."

Luke looked slightly surprised, "There's no way."

Kyle nodded very seriously. "Oh yeah! The severe gray, off white, black or stark white always seemed so… blah. That though – variety – is so much more interesting. Not only that, but it is far more flattering. You are going to steal Mara's heart away all over again with that."

Luke chuckled, slightly embarrassed. The whole day had been spent preparing in one way or another for the celebration that evening. Luke had dug out and neatly pressed the wrinkles out of his uniform before rolling it so that no foreign dust, hair or debris was visible on it. He also made sure his medals were properly arranged according to Alliance specs, feeling slightly egotistical as he did. Now, when Luke turned and looked in the mirror at himself, with the numerous gold medals flying with the Rogues, the service medals for his part in other battles like Hoth and his medals for valor from the two Death Star battles, he felt like he was showing off or being arrogant. With a sigh, he checked his wrist krono. It was sixteen-thirty, almost time to go pick up their hot dates. Kyle chuckled again. "By the way, Luke, I think you're going to like what Mara picked for this evening – and for the evenings following."

Luke cocked an eye and said, "Oh? What do you mean?"

Kyle chuckled again and said, "I mean that if I didn't have Jan, I would be jealous of you and you would have some competition. That's all. Trust me, buddy, you're going to get plasma burn just looking at her."

Luke nodded, feeling his stomach start to flutter slightly. When seventeen hundred finally rolled around, a guard knocked on the door. "Agent Katarn, Jedi Skywalker, it's time to go and get Agent Ors and Jedi Jade. The celebration officially begins in fifteen minutes and it is far better to be early than on time."

Luke thanked the guard and, side by side, the two Alliance representatives strode to the room where their partners, as well as Lady Seena and Princess Naina, were getting ready with a half dozen of their hand maidens. Straightening his coat one more time and running his fingers through his hair for the umpteenth time, Luke finally worked up the courage to knock on the door. One of the handmaidens opened it and gave both Luke and Kyle some non-too subtle turbo-lift eyes, giving an appreciative 'hmmm' before saying, "Come in, gentlemen. We're all ready to go."

Luke strode into the room and froze at the sight before him. Mara was wearing an emerald green Cyrene silk dress that brought her brilliant eye color out and hugged her figure perfectly. Her hair was intricately and beautifully piled atop her head. Luke was speechless and one of the handmaidens reached up and gently shut his mouth, tutting reprovingly. Mara's eyes were hooded as she looked at Luke. She had seen a thousand very handsome men wearing the gray, black, white and even the rarely seen red Imperial uniforms in the emperor's court but none of them, no matter how decorated and no matter how well tailored compared to seeing Luke in his black, white, silver and gold uniform with the colonel's insignia and all the medals for service and valor. Something about the uniform made him appear even more heroic and desirable. It wasn't the cut of the uniform or the amount of hardware he wore. It was something else and she really couldn't describe it. In contrast of the two Jedi, Kyle was smiling as he walked right up to Jan, who wore a black gown and had her hair neatly and simply done, and kissed her. "You look breathtaking, Jan."

Jan was running her fingertips gently over Kyle's outfit. "Kriff, Kyle! How am I supposed to keep all the women away from you when you look like that?"

Finally, Lady Seena had to tap both Luke and Mara on the shoulders. "Come on, Jedi. We cannot be late. Naina and I will lead the way for you."

Arm in arm, Luke and Mara strode down the hall to the turbo lifts. From there, they went down to a great open courtyard where many hundreds of lights illuminated the gathered beings. At the outer edges of the courtyard were long tables with food and drink and at the very end, in front of the gate that opened to the city was a dais. On the dais stood King Tahoon and the joint commanders of the Royal Naboo Security Forces. Seena and Naina lead the four Alliance representatives up the stairs to the dais and positioned them beside the King on his right while the ladies themselves stood on his left. Lifting a gloved hand into the air, the King called for silence. When all was quiet, he raised his voice. "My friends, my people, my fellow Naboo – we are here tonight to celebrate a great victory, one that has been hard won. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the Royal Naboo Security Forces and the courageous assistance and actions of these four representatives of the Alliance of Free Planets, Naboo is free of outsider corruption. The Zann Consortium, like the Empire before it, has been force off this planet and their attempt to retake it has failed. Before we go any further, I wish a moment of silence to those who gave their lives in defense of this world."

The silence fell and for almost a minute, not a word was said. When a respectable amount of time had passed, the King cleared his throat and said, "We cannot forgot to honor the living as well. When I call your names, RNSF members, step up and receive your reward."

A long list followed. Police Troopers, Palace Guards, Pilots and Soldiers all were called and rewarded. The king would pin a medal to their chests and then they would kiss the hands of Lady Seena and Princess Naina before taking a place off to the side of the dais. Luke, Mara, Kyle and Jan all clapped heartily with each called name, wanting to show their support of their hosts' military. It was a complete surprise when King Tahoon said, "And now, I have several special rewards for our guests. Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight Mara Jade, Agent Kyle Katarn and Agent Jan Ors, please step forward."

All four of them stepped forward and stood at rigid attention. One by one, medals were placed over their heads and the king said to each of them, "In recognition of your bravery and tireless work in defense of this sovereign planet, one that you have no special loyalty or allegiance to, I, King Marius Tahoon of Naboo, award you this medal for selfless service and valor. May all who see it know that you are the friends of the Naboo and considered Royal Advisors for as long as you may live."

All four of them were blushing madly and they bowed in respect after the king did. When the cheers and applause had died down, the King straightened, his eyes twinkling slightly. "Now that the formalities have concluded, my friends, enjoy yourselves and remember those who were lost."

With that, the celebration began in earnest. They ate, they drank, they danced and they reminisced. The four Alliance representatives felt a little out of place until the King and Marshal Commander Sykes strode up. Sykes offered his hand to Mara and the King to Jan and they both requested a dance. Sykes winked at Luke and said, "You should have asked her much sooner than this."

Luke only chuckled, shaking his head. Mara's thoughts reached him through their force link. _He's right, you know, Farmboy. You'd better not ask someone else to dance before I get my first dance with you or you'll be in HUGE trouble._

Luke smiled. _Tell me when it's wrapping up and I'll come find you. I promise I won't dance with anyone before I do with you. Besides, I'm starving and that food looks fantastic._

Mara's mental laughter rang in his mind as he sampled and tried all the food around the tables.

Mara was chuckling at Luke's antics. Sykes smiled and said, "You know, young lady, it's rather impolite to hold a telepathic conversation with one man while dancing with another."

Mara blushed and said, "I'm sorry, Marshal Commander. You are right."

Sykes winked at her kindly and said, "Tell me about yourself, Jedi Jade. You don't have to say more than you want but I must say that I am curious about you and how you came to be with the Rebel Alliance."

Mara pursed her lips for a few moments before saying, "Well let's see: it began about seven months ago when Emperor Palpatine sent me to kill this upstart rebel and supposed Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker. I went to Jabba the Hutt's palace on Tattooine as a dancer and waited until this blasted Jedi arrived. Well, said Jedi was captured and he and all his little rebel friends were sentenced to be thrown into a sarlacc pit. Of course, being that Luke was a Jedi, it didn't quite go as Jabba the Hutt planned. Luke got a hold of his lightsaber and systematically cut the guards to pieces – literally in some cases. Well the fight was winding down and I attacked Luke. He told his friends to flee and we fought it out on the sail barge before Luke blew it up and I chased him back to his ship and off world, managing to put a tracking transmitter device on his X-wing's hull. I chased him all the way to this nasty, slimy little hole-in-the-rocket planet and then met another Jedi named Yoda."

Mara paused for a moment before shaking her head and saying, "Suffice to say he found a way to open my eyes and change my mind about the emperor. Anyhow, Luke and I joined up and headed back to the Rebel Fleet where I was interrogated and then allowed to join as a lieutenant. From there, a plan was made to attack the second Death Star. Luke and I went with a commando unit to destroy the shield generator but before we even got the chance to, Luke decides he wants to surrender himself to Darth Vader and, because I apparently developed a crush on the Jedi farm boy, I decide to go with. We go aboard the station, the emperor won't shut up about how our plan is futile and how omnipotent he is. The rebel fleet shows up, Luke attacks the emperor but Darth Vader intervenes, it's a huge four way duel that also involve a handful of Imperial Guardsmen and Luke and I almost die in one another's arms. Darth Vader turns on the emperor and Luke and Vader kill him. Vader got us off the station before it blows up and dies minutes after landing, or so we're told. Luke and I were unconscious when we landed. That is how I came to be with the Alliance , Marshal Commander."

Sykes was wide eyed. "I see. Well consider me impressed, Jedi Jade. After all that, this mission must seem like a walk in the park."

The song ended and Sykes gave a courtly bow. "Call Jedi Skywalker, my dear, before he loses another opportunity."

As if on cue, Luke strode up and offered her his hand. "May I have this next dance, Jedi Jade?"

Mara smiled brilliantly. "It would be my pleasure, Jedi Skywalker."

They danced the next several dances together, gazing almost unblinkingly into one another's eyes and relishing the dance as the music flowed through them. Then, however, the King wanted to dance with Mara as well and Luke could tell that Lady Seena wanted him to ask her. After Luke had danced with Lady Seena, Princess Naina and a half a dozen other women from the royal court, he had to take a break. Getting more food and a drink, Luke found a quiet corner to stand in and watch from. Even after he had finished his food, he simply stood and sipped at his drink. Mara had just finished dancing with another nobleman and she looked across at him. Through their link, Luke could sense that she was looking him over again, admiring the fine figure he cut in his uniform. Seeing that Luke had seen her, Mara gave one of her stunning smile. It wasn't a strictly loving smile nor one of her smirks. This smile promised so many wonderful things to come for him later that night. Luke was studying her much the same as she was him, his eyes wandering up and down her in her emerald green Cyrene silk dress, cut to perfectly accentuate her figure and colored to bring out her amazing eyes. From across the room, Luke heard her thoughts. _You look so handsome in that uniform, my love. Why haven't you warn it before?_

Luke smiled and sipped his drink. _The occasion hasn't arisen before. I've always felt a little self-conscious in it too. But Mara you look – you look – I can't even find the right words, my love. There isn't a woman here who is as beautiful. I wonder when it's okay to leave. I've wanted you to myself since I first saw you this evening._

A flash of bashfulness mixed with burning desire came across to him along with a small amount of frustration. Flashes of passionate images of Mara slowly removing the uniform from him, of Luke loosening the halter straps and allowing the green silk to pool around her feet and of them both tangled together in a large bed with red velvet bedding in a dimly lit room filled with flickering fire light passed from her to him. Immediately, Luke's tenuous patience began to fracture. Quickly, he closed off a section of his mind, the one that contained his own plans for the days they would have together, from Mara. She noticed instantly. _I see that, Skywalker. What do you have planned for us?_

Luke shook his head at her with a knowing smile on his face. _You will find out, my love. I promise that you will enjoy it._

 _Oh come on! You know I HATE waiting on your surprises. This is the second one you're keeping from me, too._

 _Perhaps, Mara but they are tied together._

Mara glared at him from across the room. _Fine, but as long as I have to wait for that, you have to wait for this._

Immediately, flashes of even more passionate and erotic imagery went through Luke's mind and continued to go through from time to time throughout the night. Luke stood in stunned silence, feeling himself becoming increasingly affected by them. A hand on his shoulder brought him out of his revelry. The king stood there, an eyebrow cocked at the look on Luke's face. Luke blushed and then smiled. "Your Majesty, this celebration is truly wonderful. We are enjoying ourselves immensely."

The king gently straightened the two medals around Luke's neck and smiled. "I'm very glad to hear that, Jedi Skywalker. You and your friends deserve it every bit as much if not more than the royal defense forces. I took the liberty of having your and Jedi Mara Jade's belongings to the suite. Here's the key card to the suite. There is one more thing that must be done as part of this celebration and then you may leave whenever you see fit."

Luke took the key card and pocketed it, thanking the king again. Another flash of images, images of Mara on top of Luke, kissing him as she rode him to the heights of ecstasy, went through his mind along with the sultry words. _All you need to do is tell me, lover. I know I'll be happy one way or the other and you will be happy too. Don't you want me, Farmboy?_

Luke looked across at her. Mara was leaning seductively against a pillar, smiling at him again. Luke took a deep breath, trying to use the force to control his body's reaction to such thoughts. He was about to reply when the king had a small bell rung. The king, his wife and his daughter stood upon the dais and all eyes in the room turned to them. "Dear nobles and honored members of our defense forces, I thank you for taking part in our celebration of victory. Before the night continues, I wish there to be a remembrance for all those who died in the past to keep Naboo free. From the Battle for Naboo against the Trade Federation, through the Clone Wars and the rise of the Empire and up to this very point, many have died so that we can live in peace and prosperity. Observe please."

Above the courtyard, from hidden holo projectors in the pillars and walls, came flickering lights with names beneath them. There were hundreds of them and they were in the pattern of Naboo's star system. Music was playing in the background. Sections of the names and lights were sorted by color and each section had a name over it as well – the names of battles. As the music wound down, the king spoke again. "Never forget these names, my people. It is this list that reminds us of the sacrifices that are made for us. Now we will add a new section. It's small but no less important – representing this most recent conflict. Now please, continue enjoying the celebration. Eat, drink and dance, my people."

They were all about to continue their celebration when there was a loud explosion and armed mercenaries charged into the courtyard led by a heavily armored man. They opened fire on the guards and Luke instinctively leaped into action. His green bladed lightsaber was activated as he deflected blaster bolts away from as many people as possible. The guards returned fire and the handmaidens covered Lady Seena and Princess Naina. Mara had ducked around a pillar. Being unarmed, she used the force as best as she could, trying to tug the mercenary's arms out of lined shots. Suddenly, the princess called her and tossed her a hold-out blaster. As soon as she caught it, Mara returned fire, blasting one mercenary after another. It seemed like it would be an easy fight until a loud voice yelled, "Cease fire, now!"

All eyes turned to see that the armored man was holding a vibro-knife to the princess's neck. Luke recognized him immediately as a Zann Consortium Defiler. The guards and mercenaries all lowered their weapons. Turning to King Tahoon and Lady Seena, the Defiler commanded, "Get on your knees!"

Without question, both did. "I have come to collect payment for betraying your overlord, Tyber Zann. Your daughter will die – stay where you are Jedi! You can't touch me here!"

Luke held his lightsaber ready but he knew that the Defiler was right. Somehow he could not reach the armored man with the force. "Take me in their place. Let the princess go."

The Defiler laughed. "Oh no, Jedi. You're not coming anywhere near me with that laser sword. I fact, toss it over here."

Luke obeyed and his weapon landed at the Defiler feet. The armored man kicked it behind him. Suddenly, Luke saw a flash of green between the pillars, slipping with absolute silence behind the Defiler. To stall, Luke asked, "Why can't I sense you? Why can't I reach you with the force?"

The Defiler chuckled wickedly. "Do you see the creature on the frame I have on my back? They're called Yslamari and they can apparently block the use of the force somehow. I'm not sure. How does it feel to be mortal like the rest of us, Skywalker?"

Mara was only a few meters behind the Defiler now and she was sneaking forward, trying to get to the lightsaber. Luke reached out to the minds of the mercenaries and deflected their interest away from her. There were a dozen of them left alive and the strain was causing him to clench his fists and teeth. "I see you aren't used to it, are you? Don't worry, Skywalker. When I'm done with the royal family here, I'll kill you and Mara Jade as well. The Empire will pay a nice price for her head."

"I didn't know the Zann Consortium was turning in bounties. Besides, the Empire is gone, fractured into a hundred warring factions. I doubt that many of them will even be able to pay the price."

The Defiler laughed again. "There is one who will – Admiral Piett has informed every bounty hunter that his new master would pay handsomely for her and for you. Tyber Zann will be most pleased with me."

Luke was beginning to loose the mercs and some of them were gaining interest in Mara as she slipped behind and picked up Luke's lightsaber. Through gritted teeth, Luke said, "I'm sure he will."

With a snap-hiss, Mara ignited the weapon and drove it into the little creature, the frame and the Defiler's head. Immediately, Mara shut the blade down so as not to hurt the princess and Luke turned and sent a wave of telekinetic energy at the mercs, sending them staggering to the floor. "Luke!"

Mara threw the lightsaber and Luke called it to him. With a burst of speed, Luke stood among them, his weapon ready. "Surrender!" he snapped. The guards had them covered and the mercenaries laid down their arms. Naina was being held by her parents and Mara stood with the handmaidens protectively in front of them. As soon as the mercenaries were taken away, Luke returned to them. The king took his hand again, thanking him and Mara profusely. The queen was in tears with relief as she threw an arm around Mara while still hugging her daughter. Luke felt the adrenaline drain away, replaced by fatigue. The life of the party had died somewhat and the king stood on the dais again. "My people, this night of celebration cannot end in this surprise and tragedy. I invite you to continue celebrating but I will understand if you cannot continue to."

Turning to Luke, the king said, "You and your friends deserve your rest and I can tell you wish to retire. I bid you a good evening and thank you once again."

Kyle and Jan came to them. "Are you both okay?" asked Jan anxiously. Luke smiled and nodded. Mara said, "Yeah we're fine. That was a hell of a way to end the night, though. I won't be able to sleep for hours."

Jan smirked wickedly and winked at Luke. "Lucky you."

Luke blushed and looked away. Kyle laughed and said, "Well I think we're going to stay awhile if that's okay with you, Colonel."

Luke recovered and smiled, "Of course. Enjoy yourselves but keep your eyes open, just in case."

Kyle gave a mock salute and he and Jan headed back towards the party but Jan turned and said, "Have a good night, you two. Don't stay up too terribly late."

Luke blushed again and offered Mara his arm. She took it and they headed out. A service droid found them and offered to lead them there. Mara leaned over and whispered, "I think they are under the impression that you will be getting something tonight. You and I both know that's not going to happen – unless there's something you want to tell me."

Luke chuckled at her insistence before another wave of mental imagery reached him from her. She stopped him, turned him to face her and wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her body against his and leaning in. Her lips were less than ten centimeters from his and when he leaned in, she leaned back, a small smirk on her face. Whispering silkily, she said, "Come on. You know you want to."

More mental images flooded Luke's mind and he was beginning to get overwhelmed. He finally managed to gasp out. "I'm planning on showing you when we get to the suite."

Mara's eyes got a little wider and she took his arm again. "Let's go then."

It was a matter of a few minutes before they got to the suite. Luke thanked the droid and inserted the datacard. Mara was almost childishly excited as she pulled him in after her. The suite was massive, a house within the palace with two full floors, multiple sitting areas and a library. Luke's mouth hung open. There was a pool at the far side and beside it, a smaller one that steamed. There was a kitchen and a large dining area. There were sitting rooms, a game room, a lounge and four conference rooms. "Close your mouth, Lover. You haven't seen the best part yet;" whispered Mara and she continued to tug on his hand. They went up the stares and looked down a row of doors. Mara ignored all of them, going for a set of double doors that were ornately engraved. Taking the key from him, Mara slipped it in the slot and the doors opened. They both stared wide eyed at what they saw. It was its own suite almost, with a small kitchen unit, a huge refresher and the biggest bed either of them had ever seen. "So this is what the Emperor's personal room looks like."

Luke looked at Mara, confused slightly. "I thought you've been here before."

Mara shook her head. "I've been to the suite but not in the emperor's bedroom. The only people who have ever been in there besides him were his favorite courtesans and Ysanne Isard, Director of Imperial Intelligence and Palpatine's lover."

She recognized a flash of something in Luke's mind. Turning to him, a very serious look on her face, she said, "Did you really believe that I had slept with him? Who else do you suspect that I slept with?"

Luke immediately lifted his hands, his blue eyes wide. "Wait a second now, Mara, I never said I thought that. You can't just take flashes from my mind and assume the worst."

Mara looked at him coldly. "Answer this question, Skywalker. What exactly do you think of me?"

Luke was about to shout that it wasn't anything like that but that wouldn't have been completely honest. Instead, he made a mistake. Luke got angry. Very calmly and coldly, he said, "I never gave you any reason to think that I thought this way of you. Why would I? You've never told me the details of your past life and I never asked, figuring if you wanted to tell me anything, you would. I thought I made it clear what I think of you but apparently not."

This was not how he expected the evening to go. Turning, Luke began to leave. "Then let me ask: what was that flash in your mind, Luke?"

Luke just kept walking. He wasn't in the mood to explain himself right now. He went down to the luggage and began to sort it. Taking a deep breath, he looked straight up and said out loud, "You make me insane sometimes, Mara Jade."

"That doesn't mean you can just walk away from me when you're irritated. That's not how relationships work, Luke."

Luke turned to see Mara at the top of the stares, looking at him seriously but earnestly. Luke took another deep breath, a half dozen biting responses going through his mind. Instead he headed up the stairs and stood next to her. "The thought had crossed my mind that you may have slept with him. You said courtesans and I remember you saying that, at least at the palace, that's what you masqueraded as. I made a connection and an incorrect thought crossed my mind. I would have immediately discarded it as incorrect had you not jumped to that conclusion and given me the chance."

Mara looked down, blushing fiercely. "I'm sorry, Luke. It's just that you never ask me about my life. I'm willing to share but I sometimes feel like you already have your impression of me and that you don't care."

Luke suddenly realized he had made a mistake. He should have asked her about her past. Giving a tired and rather mirthless chuckle, Luke said, "Well I guess I thought if you wanted to tell me, you would have. I took you for someone who enjoyed their privacy. I'm sorry, Mara."

Mara turned her green eyes up to him. "I'm sorry too. I jumped to a conclusion and was way off base."

She slipped her hands into Luke's and they stood there at the top of the stairs for awhile before Luke gently pulled her into a hug, murmuring as he did, "I have a lot to learn about relationships."

Mara smiled. "We both do, Farmboy."

After a few moments, they separated and Luke was smiling again. "Do you want to see what I got you for our birthday celebration?"

Mara's face broke into a brilliant smile and she nodded eagerly. Luke led her down to where their things were and pulled out a box. He handed it to her, a look of barely controlled excitement on her face. Mara opened the box and gasped at the sight of the crystal inside. She looked up at him. "Is that a lightsaber crystal?" she whispered breathlessly as she took it out and examined it. Luke nodded. "It is and that box over there has dozens of spare parts. I figured that maybe I could help you build your own lightsaber – if you still want to that is."

Now that hint he had given to her made sense. She beamed at him before snatching the front of his uniform and tugging him into a blistering kiss. When she finally let him go, she whispered, "I love it, Luke. I'd love for you to help me build a lightsaber – my own lightsaber."

Luke smiled. He also pulled out one other thing and self-consciously handed it to her. Mara looked at him and then looked at it before slowing unwrapping and opening it. Inside a bed of velvet was a necklace made of the finest medals and set within each were a dozen green stones. They were perfect and Mara was speechless at the gift. Luke waited as she ran a finger along it until he couldn't hold in his anxiety. "Do you like it?"

Mara looked up, her green eyes large and a smile crossed her face that stopped Luke's pounding heart. She lifted it out and said, "Help me put it on?"

Luke obliged, stepping behind her and fastening the clasp of the necklace. Turning, Mara said, "What do you think?"

Luke was smiling at her and he said, "I think you make it look more beautiful."

Mara wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug and another kiss before whispering, "Thanks, Luke. I love them both."

Luke was pleased. "Happy birthday, Mara."

She pulled away and Luke saw unshed tears in her eyes. Reaching out with the force, he sensed her happiness was overwhelming her. Wiping her eyes, Mara quickly went and grabbed something from one of her bags too. "I got this for you too, Luke."

Luke smiled and opened the gift. Inside a small gray box were two wrist kronos – one made of precious medals and looked very expensive. The other was durable and functional. Both were expensive and he loved them. "These are amazing, Mara. I don't think I've ever had anything this nice. But why two?"

Mara was pleased by his reaction to them. "Well one can be for nicer occasions and the other for everyday activities and work. I'm glad you like them. Happy birthday, my love. Go on, put them on."

Luke slipped first one and then the other on his wrist. They felt good. Luke pulled her into another hug and kiss. They remained that way for some time, just enjoying the intimacy until Mara began sending Luke more mental images. Luke groaned and everything that his anger had undone was back. Mara pulled away slightly and said, "You were right, you know. Sometimes it is worth waiting for surprises."

Luke smiled, a small amount of triumph in his force presence. "Does that mean you'll stop tormenting me whenever I have a surprise for you?"

Mara laughed. "Of course not; be honest, do you really want me too? You weren't enjoying all those thoughts I was sending you tonight?"

Luke grimaced. "Well yes I suppose so, in the same way that someone enjoys the pain of a deep tissue massage."

Mara giggled and said, "That sounds like a good idea, too. Come on. Follow me. I have a few surprises for you, too."

Mara took his hand and they went back up the stares for the night. I what a night it was for them.

 **Updated May 25, 2016**


	10. Chapter 10: The Old Masters

**Warning: Mature content ahead.**

Luke and Mara enjoyed the days they had in the former Imperial suite immensely. All there time was taken up relaxing, training, meditating, sparring, love making and learning about one another. Luke asked Mara about her life and absorbed everything she told him. In the same way, Mara was very interested in what she referred to as Luke's "normal upbringing". They took turns cooking meals, had private dances and swam in the pools. Best of all, they built Mara's new lightsaber. It took the some time too. They gathered the parts and made sure that they fit together and Luke, under Mara's watchful eye, made a beautiful casing for all the components to go into. By the second to last day they were there, Mara activated the weapon. A gorgeous violet color snap-hissed to life and Mara beamed at it. She struck a fighting stance and went through several combinations. After a few minutes she just looked at it, her eyes bright and happy and she whispered "It's beautiful and even better made than the one Palpatine gave me."

Luke was pleased with their work. Mara shut the weapon down and clipped it to her belt before wrapping her arms around him and kissing him. After a moment, she said, "Thank you, my love. I don't think you could have given me a better gift."

Luke just held her in silence until Mara separated and said, "Want to take it for a whirl, see how it holds up?"

Luke grinned and replied, "That sounds like fun."

For the next hour, they sparred. It wasn't a serious training session – more of a game or a light competition. When they both stopped, panting and sweaty, Mara said, "Let's go for a swim. That will cool us off and help us relax."

Luke nodded, eager to see Mara again in the skimpy red, two-piece suit she had bought while shopping for the victory celebration. To his surprise, she just grabbed his hand and tugged him into the pool room before slowly removing first his and then her clothing, kissing him as she did – on his lips, along his neck and by his ears.

Luke didn't complain. His mind was too absorbed in the beautiful woman that was systematically disrobing him and then herself. When they were both finally naked, she smiled suggestively and purred, "Come on in after me, Farmboy."

Mature Content Begins Here

She slipped into the water and Luke, drawn as if by a tractor beam, followed her without resisting. Once in the water with her, she wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, grinding her pelvis purposefully against his increasingly hardening manhood. They both began to moan into the kisses until Luke broke from her lips, kissing hungrily along her neck and down to her shoulder, lavishing attention on the crease of her neck and shoulder – a place he knew from experience that drove her absolutely nuts. Mara gasped and gave a low whimper, grinding herself more insistently against him. Luke continued his ministrations on her neck before moving down to her collar bones, kissing and nibbling lovingly across them too, leaving just the faintest marks on her soft, smooth skin. Mara ran one hand through his shaggy blond hair and levered herself upward slightly with the other, giving him access to more of her. Luke kissed his way in between her perfect breasts and smiled to himself as she moaned with desperate want. A flash of near annoyance came across their link and Mara said allowed, "Damn it, Luke! Stop teasing me!"

Luke chuckled and looked up. "Okay. Tell me exactly what you want me to do."

He went back to what he was doing, kissing and nibbling circles around her breasts, going along the curves of her ribcage and leaving faint marks on them as he had her collar bones. As much as Mara enjoyed what he was doing, she desperately needed him to go back and lavish his attention on her breasts. The things he did to them were in and of themselves always nearly enough to push her over the edge of pleasurable oblivion. Trying to think of how to express what she wanted him to do without coming out and saying while he was doing what he was doing was almost impossible. Finally, she gasped out and used a hand to lift his eyes to hers. In an almost shy whisper, she said, "Luke, please – I need you to – to…" and she paused, shaking her head and blushing. She sent the mental image of what she wanted to him but he said, "Say it, my love. It's just us."

She smiled shyly and whispered. "Take my breasts and, please, suck them, lick them."

Luke smiled up at her and did just that, taking first one and then the other. Mara's whimpers and moans grew louder and she looked straight up to the ceiling, enjoying the pleasure of what he was doing to her. Soon, though, Mara could sense Luke's need as well. Without stopping him, she reached down and found the erect length of his manhood. Carefully so as not to make him stop his own work, Mara guided him into her, gasping as she slid onto him. The cool water made their bodies even more sensitive to the myriad of pleasurable sensations. Luke had stopped suckling and nibbling on her rosy nipples and was moaning and whimpering himself as she shifted to gain a better hold on his hips with her legs. Mara whispered, "I didn't say stop, you know. Get back to it. I'll stay still and make it easier for you."

Even breathless and nearly dizzy with the euphoria, Luke had to smile. He took a gentle nip at one of her breasts before going back to suckling it. Slowly at first, Mara managed to move only her hips, forward and back, nearly screaming with each forward movement. Luke was having a hard time focusing on what he was supposed to be doing as she kept doing that. Suddenly, she stopped and said, "Let's move to the other one. We can sit down in that one and the water is warmer. I'm getting a little cold."

Luke was hesitant for just a moment, but then, still holding her, he sloshed out of the water and splashed into the smaller pool where he sat down on the seat, careful not to bruise Mara's knees as he did. She rested herself carefully and then drew him back up to a passionate, blood-boiling kiss before pressing his face gently back to her breasts. She stayed that way for several moments as his hands began to move up and down her toned, athletic legs, gently pressing in and giving a massage like feeling to the movement. His hands traveled up and around her amazing butt and up her back, traveling back down when the reached her shoulders. When his large hands had reached her hips, he gently lifted her up, almost pulling himself out of her, Mara felt herself shiver in anticipation. With a single motion and a soft grunt, Luke brought himself up and back into her, causing Mara to give a loud moan of pleasure, one that turned into a scream as he repeated. Again and again, Luke thrust into her until her cries had turned into gasping pleas. "Don't stop, love! Please, oh PLEASE don't stop! Oh please, oh PLEASE!"

Luke's face was still pressed against her breasts for the soul reason that she had hugged his head tighter and tighter. Suddenly, Luke stood and dropped to his knees in the water, causing her to loosen her grip on his head. Hungrily, he kissed her and he continued his motions. When Mara knew that she wasn't far, she disengaged and pressed her forehead against his, just hard enough so that his movements didn't cause their heads to bang together painfully. "More. Just a little more;" she whispered as the she felt the pressure continue to grow until, as if an explosion went off inside her, her body convulsed and clinched around him. The contracting of Mara's muscles around him caused him to go too. He didn't stop though. Luke continued to move until Mara's eyes had rolled back and shut. Her head went with them as the pressure built back up again. Suddenly, Luke pulled himself out and lifted her out of the water, causing her to moan with loss. "Why in the universe are we stopping?"

Luke looked at her earnestly. "Because I want to be on a bed this time; it's much more comfortable."

Mara couldn't argue with that. They both hurried up to the bedroom to the bed. Mara smiled and said, "Lay down, my love. I want to try something we haven't done before."

Luke complied, lying on his back on the blue and green silk sheets. Mara crawled on top of him, kissing him as she began to grind herself against him again. This time, however, she began to kiss her way down his chest and the muscles of his stomach. Luke was curious. "Mara what are you –"

He suddenly felt her grasp the shaft of his manhood and give a long, slow lick. Luke's back arched and his gasped. "What the – "

She did it again and Luke couldn't even move. After a sultry giggle, Mara closed completely over him with her mouth and Luke could hardly breathe, much less talk. In long, slow motions, using just her tongue sometimes and her whole mouth at others, she brought Luke higher and higher until he had to grit out between clenched teeth. "Kriff, Mara! If you keep doing that…"

Her thoughts reached him. _Go ahead, my love. We still have the rest of the day and the whole night. I won't be done with you yet after this one._

With that, she continued and, just moments later, Luke's back arched and he gave a long groan of pleasure. To his surprise, Mara kept her mouth around his now throbbing manhood. Luke watched, slightly fascinated with what he saw as she swallowed twice and then, with a last little flourish of her tongue around his head, she sat up. Smiling, sweetly she crawled up and snuggled him. "Do you need a break, my love?" she asked. Luke, still a little dazed, nodded and said, "Actually yes, I am a little hungry. You want some food?"

Mara giggled and whispered silkily, "But Luke, I just ate."

This caused Luke to chuckle himself. "Yes you did, didn't you? Was that enough though?"

Mara looked into his blue eyes, her own green ones still fairly glowing with desire. "Oh that wasn't nearly enough, Lover. Don't eat too much. I don't want you to get lethargic on me. Let's go get a snack."

They went to the kitchen and Luke grabbed several ingredients to throw together two small dishes of food. It was regular snack food, cheese, crackers, cold nerf sausage and some sliced vegetables with dipping sauce. As a last minute thought, Mara grabbed and neatly sliced several fruits and also a spray can of the sweet whipped cream. To drink, they grabbed some black Sarkhai wine. They ate the food but were more careful with the wine, remembering how it had gotten them drunk quickly and only after two glasses. They ate in silence, giving one another meaningful glances. After the quick snack and a single glass of wine between them, Luke was ready to go again and Mara was even more so. With a mischievous smile, she took the can of spray cream and laid down, spraying some on herself from chest to naval. She shivered slightly as the cold cream touched her nipples. As soon as she was done, Luke crawled over and, little by little, ate the cream off of her, enjoying the sounds of pleasure she made even more than the sweet cream.

Mature Content Ends

They spent the remainder of the final full day making love. By the time they went to bed, they were exhausted, very satisfied and wonderfully sore all over. The next morning, they gathered their things and brought them back to Luke's YT-2000 freighter and packed everything away before meeting Jan and Kyle back at the palace hanger. There, Marshal Commander Gavin Sykes, King Tahoon and his family and the joint commanders of the Royal Naboo Security Forces. In the last slot of the hanger, coming down the ramp of a Lambda-class shuttle were Alliance Honor guards and three Alliance ambassadors – a bothan, a mon calamari and a human. Luke didn't recognize any of them. The king smiled and said, "I wish to thank you one last time for all of your help. We hope to see you again, Jedi and Agents. With my blessing, Marshal Commander Sykes has gifts for each of you. Travel safely and may the force be with you always."

Sykes walked up to them and said, "For you, Jedi Skywalker, I thought that one of our fighters would be a good gift. It's red instead of yellow and has been modified. In the days of the height of the Empire, it was purposed to escort the Emperor from Naboo to wherever his next destination was. Using the clamps on the bottom of you ship, you should be able to take it with you."

Luke looked like a child during Life Day and profusely thanked the man. Sykes turned to Mara. "Jedi Jade, we no it isn't exactly a new starfighter but the princess mentioned that you liked the hold out blaster she tossed to you during the mercenary attack. So here, take this one and with it, take this case. Jedi Skywalker said that you're always looking to increase your arsenal and these are blasters that can only be attained illegally or as members of the RNSF."

Mara grinned. "A case of blasters is a great gift. Thank you, Marshal Commander."

To Jan and Kyle, Sykes said, "I wasn't absolutely sure what to give the two of you so I decided to make it simple. Each of these cred cards has twenty-five thousand credits. It's technically battle field loot we stole from the Zann Consortium. Take it and spend it as you will."

Jan and Kyle were elated, holding the cards reverently. After another round of thank yous and goobyes, Sykes joined the king in talking to the Alliance delegates that had just arrived and the four heroes boarded Luke's freighter. Luke's new fighter was in the middle of the hanger and, with perfect precision, Luke picked it up and they headed into space. A quartet of NX-5 Police Interceptors escorted them out of the atmosphere and outside of the planet's gravity well. Luke said, just as he pulled the hyperspace lever, "We're taking a detour to Tatooine. There are a couple things I need to pick up and something I need to check out."

Mara cocked an eyebrow. "What is it, Luke?"

Luke scratched his head and said, "Well I want to pick up a few things from Obi-Wan Kenobi's hut and the force seems to be calling me to Mos Eisley and I don't know why. I figured a quick trip there won't hurt anything."

Mara shrugged and said, "Sounds like a plan."

It was a short trip to Tatooine and Luke dropped Mara off at Mos Eisley and rented a Skyhopper. It was a short trip out to the hut where Ben Kenobi used to live and in the hut, Luke found what he was looking for – an old wooden chest. With a nostalgic smile, he opened it and took the two books off the top. One was an instruction book on some of the basics of the force – meditation, the building and use of a lightsaber and other things like that. The other was a journal of what happened after the rise of the Empire. Luke had never read it but now he resolved to. Looking deeper into the chest, Luke found some old Jedi robes and tunics, a pair of remotes for training and a pair of smaller boxes. Luke took the box and loaded it into the back of the Skyhopper and headed back to Mos Eisley. After stowing the box in the hold of his ship, Luke reached out with the force to find Mara. _Where are you at, Love?_

After a moment, Mara sent back a rather miffed reply. _I'm at the cantina and a couple thugs aren't getting the hint. It would be easy to take them apart but would you come over here? I'd rather not mess up this establishment. I kind of like it._

Luke laughed out loud, causing Jan and Kyle, who had stayed aboard to keep an eye on the ship, looked at him oddly. Luke ignored their amused looks and replied, _Sounds good, Mara. I'll be there in a few minutes. Don't kill anyone yet._

It was only a five minute walk from the docking bay to the cantina. Luke had many memories of the establishment. It was only four years ago that he had nearly gotten into a bar fight with two thugs. Luke smiled and looked around the room. Mara was sitting cross-legged on a bar stool sipping a drink while four rough looking men vied for her attention. None of them received any of it and Luke, bold as could be, walked up to her, and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Ready to go, Love?"

Mara turned and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him and then saying, "Ready when you are, Lover."

One of the men scowled and said, "Hey bub, we were talking to the lady. Butt out!"

Luke looked at him humorously and then said to Mara, "Were they talking to you, Dearest?"

Mara nodded, a sweet smile on her face, "Oh they were, I just wasn't listening to them. Have a good day, boys."

They all bared Luke and Mara's path and one of them, obviously the ringleader said, "We aren't done yet, Red."

"I say you are;" a cool voice said from the entrance. All eyes turned and the four men paled slightly and stepped back. The ringleader stammered, "Constable Serra! We didn't mean any trouble. We were just having a little fun."

A short man strode up and said, "Well go have your fun else where. You've had enough drink for the day."

Sullenly, the four men left and Col Serra turned back to Luke, grinning like a fool. "Well if it isn't Colonel Luke Skywalker and Lieutenant Mara Jade – how are you two?"

They both shook his hand enthusiastically and Luke said, "Wow, Col – a law man now! I never thought I see the day that happened."

Col scratched his forehead, an embarrassed look on his face. "Actually, it gets better. I'm the Chief Constable of the planet. Every major settlement has a constables office with anywhere from two to twelve. All of them are former Renegade Squadron members and all of them were elected by the people of their individual settlements and towns. I was elected too. Honestly, the job is easy. We just make sure no one's home or business is torn up by trouble and we organized search and rescue parties if tusken raiders attack and kidnap people. I actually make more money by helping smugglers find safe berths and directing them to safe stops on the worlds they're delivering to."

Luke and Mara looked at one another. "Has someone taken over Jabba's old business or is it in pieces?"

Col chuckled. "Oh it's in pieces all right, but a new up and comer is managing to gather a whole lot of those pieces into a sizeable business – a human named Talon Karrde. He's not just a smuggling king pin but a master information broker. He knows everything there is to know about what's going on in the Alliance, the Imperial Remnants and even the Zann Consortium."

Luke and Mara looked at each other again, a thrill of excitement going up each of their spines. "Can you put us in contact with him?" asked Luke excitedly. Col grimaced. "I wish I could but he rarely contacts me and when he does, the damn thing is so encrypted, nothing I have can decrypt it. Tell you what though, Luke, I'll put the word out that the Alliance is looking to talk business with Talon Karrde and I'm sure he'll make contact with you."

Luke sighed, "That will have to do. Thanks, Col. Now we really should be going. The Alliance is waiting for us over Endor."

Col help up a forestalling hand. "I don't suppose I can talk you into helping me with something real quick. There is a kid in the blockhouse; a local who I think may be highly force sensitive. Not only that, he built himself a lightsaber."

Luke's eyes widened. "Well take me to him then, Col. Let's check it out."

They went to the blockhouse and inside one of the cells was a teenager of no more than nineteen. Luke looked him up and down and said, "What's your name?"

The kid didn't look interested until his eyes fell on Mara, leaning against the doorway in one of her sleeveless, skintight, synthleather body suits. He sat bolt upright and answered. "I'm Wade. Wade Vox. Who are you two and what do you want?"

His reply and question was for Luke but his eyes were stuck on Mara. She chuckled and said, "Eyes front, kid. I'm taken."

Reluctantly, he turned back to Luke, who was also smiling. "My name is Luke Skywalker and that's Mara Jade."

The kids already wide eyes widened further and he said, "No way! You can't be! But wait, YES YOU ARE! This is so astral! What are you doing here?"

Col chuckled and said, "They may be springing you from prison depending on what they think of you."

Luke smiled kindly and said, "Well, Wade, Constable Serra here tells me that you may be force sensitive and that you built a lightsaber. Is that true?"

Wade shrugged. "I don't know if I'm force sensitive but I did build a lightsaber. The constable has it in his safe right now."

Col handed the lightsaber to Luke and Luke activated. A beautiful bronze colored blade sprang to life and Luke swung it experimentally. It was very well built. Closing it down, Luke reached out with the force and could sense that Wade was strong in the force – possibly strong enough to be a Jedi. "What are you in here for, Wade?"

The young man lowered his head ashamedly. "I got into a fight at the cantina. Some idiots were making fun of me and my lightsaber and one tried to take it so I beat the poodoo out of them. Honestly, I'm not even sure why I'm in here. It was defense of one self and property."

Col shook his head. "Because you were throwing tables and chairs at them, that's why. I don't care about the fight, it's the destruction you caused. You can't pay for it so spending a couple standard weeks in jail will be enough and I'll pay for it. Now if Jedi Skywalker says you can go and pays for the damage, I'll let you go."

Col winked at Luke and Luke sighed dramatically, handing him a one hundred credit chip. "Will that cover it, Constable Serra?"

"That will cover it nicely."

Luke used the force to unlock and open the cell. "If you'd like, you can come with us, Wade. I'm planning on beginning to train others in the ways of the force and you certainly are strong with it."

Wade jumped up and whooped. "Of course I'll come! Let's head back to my place. I have a land speeder and some tools I need to grab."

Luke held up a hand. "Woah, WOAH! A landspeeder? Why do you need a landspeeder?"

Wade looked solemn. "I mean, I guess I don't but I only finished restoring and modifying it a few days ago. What? You don't think it will fit aboard your ship?"

Luke thought about it. It would be easy to use another set of magnetic clamps. The freighter had two of them. "Sure. Sounds good but why the tools? We have plenty at the Fleet."

Wade smiled proudly. "I'm sure they do but these were my older brother's. He practically raised me with his wife and some of them are home made. Their all I have left of them."

Luke understood and smiled. "Alright, let's go. We'll help you grab them."

It was a short walk to the shop where Wade lived. The kid grabbed every bit of the money he had, threw over a hundred tools into the land speeder and hung a very old blaster and his lightsaber from his belt. Luke looked at the landspeeder. It had been the very speeder he used to own before being taken off-world by Han and Chewie. Wade drove the speeder to the docking bay and Luke and Mara headed after him, comming Kyle to let him know Wade was coming. Just before they got to the hanger, Luke saw something out of the corner of his eye: four dark robed and masked figures down an alley. On each of their hips was a lightsaber and the dark side was strong with them. Using their force link, Luke said, _Mara, look over there; four Dark Jedi._

Mara saw them and frowned. _They aren't the emperors, that's for sure. Palpatine never dressed his in robes like that and those lightsaber are each unique. The emperor handed out identical lightsabers to groups depending on their purpose. Should we check it out?_

Luke nodded. Dark Jedi wandering the galaxy was a bad thing at all times. The two of them headed after the four dark figures. They fled into the alley until they came to a large arena like area. There, the four Dark Jedi spread out and faced Luke and Mara. One of them spoke. "Lord Diabolis said you would come here, following the youth who is strong in the force. Now, Jedi, you have fallen into our trap."

Luke frowned. "Who is Lord Diabolis and where did you come from?"

The Dark Jedi sounded reverent as he replied, "Darth Diabolis is the heir of Darth Revan, the greatest Dark Lord of the Sith to ever rein. It is he who will bring around a new golden age of Sith rule."

Mara cocked her hip and rolled her eyes. "Oh yay!" she said sardonically, "Another Sith Lord trying to bring about the golden age of Sith rule. Stang, but you guys never get the picture, do you? The Sith lose. They always lose. It may take a year or a hundred but the Jedi always return and crush the Sith and the dark side."

The Dark Jedi sneered. "You are the one who doesn't get it, Jedi. The Sith always rise again from the ashes and they always will. There cannot be a force without a light and dark side. Enough talk. Kill them, my acolytes!"

The three other Dark Jedi ignited lightsabers and attacked in earnest. Luke immediately occupied two of them while Mara took the third, feeling a little annoyed at Luke's over protectiveness. It took only a minute for the two Jedi to realize that their three opponents were novices in the ways of the force. Even two against one, Luke defended himself with just a little strain and Mara pressed her opponent around the open area. It was only a few minutes of hacking, slashing and thrusting that the three Dark Jedi were back to back between Luke and Mara. Luke calmly said, "Surrender. Even to you, it must be clear that you can't beat us."

Mara wasn't surprised when they simply attacked again. With a regretful sigh, Luke cut down first one and then the other Dark Jedi acolyte while Mara cut her opponent down and faced the fourth and final enemy, making sure he didn't interfere with Luke. Finally, they faced their final opponent. Again, Luke said, "Surrender, Dark Jedi."

With a low chuckle, the Dark Jedi pulled a lightsaber from the folds of his robe. It had a long handle and from each end came a blade. Luke was a little surprised. "Well I've never seen that before."

Mara set her jaw and murmured, "Several of the Inquisitors used lightsabers like that and apparently there was a Sith Lord Darth Maul who did as well."

The Dark Jedi attacked, driving both the Jedi back with his ferocious assault. At first, it seemed as though he could double his attacks on both of them but after the first several minutes of the match, Luke noticed two things. First, the lightsaber had as many weaknesses as it did strengths because whenever you knew where one blade was, you already knew where the other blade was and, therefore, could anticipate where it would go next. Secondly, the weapons glaring weak point was its extended handle. Reaching over their force link, Luke relayed the information to Mara and also said, _I'm going to focus on the handle. You keep fighting as we have been. If we coordinate our attacks right, we may be able to take this guy alive."_

Mara sent a confirming thought and they redouble their attacks. Suddenly, the Dark Jedi sent bolts of blue force lightning at Luke, who only just caught the bolts on his lightsaber. Mara was shocked. She had only ever seen the emperor display such power. Luke countered with an outstretched hand, blasting the Dark Jedi with telekinetic energy. Their opponent flew backwards but managed to land on his feet just in time to catch Mara's blade on one of his. Luke was there in an instant, pretending to try and batter down his opponents defenses while Mara did the same thing. All they needed was an opening. Suddenly, it came but not for Luke but for Mara. Watching their opponent, she calculated exactly where the lightsaber blades would be and aimed right between them, catching the handle almost dead in the center. Luke followed up with a ferocious combination, only to find that one of the Dark Jedi's blades still functioned. Sending out another torrent of force lightning, the Dark Jedi leaped back to gain some space. "Very impressive. Rest assured, I will not underestimate you again, Jedi. I have killed dozens of the councils weak-willed puppets. You two will be no problem."

Mara snapped, "Then stop running and let's finish this."

The Dark Jedi leaped at Luke with a vicious assault but his skill with the single blade had obviously been neglected since the adoption of the double bladed weapon. Luke and Mara began to drive him back. No matter how much force lightning or telekinetic energy he used, they soon had his back against a high wall. For the final time, Luke said, "Surrender."

Suddenly, the Dark Jedi stretched out his hand and Luke began to feel dizzy. Mara recognized what was happening and resumed her attack with a cry. "You will not suck the life out of him, darksider!"

Luke shook himself and was about to resume his attack when Mara disarmed her opponent and blasted him against the wall. The Dark Jedi shook himself and attacked, completely unarmed, force lightning forking from his hands. Mara deflected the attack and ducked, leaving her blade at chest height and cleaving her opponent in two. Luke could still feel the effects of the dark side attack on him.

Mara hurried to him and asked anxiously, "Luke, are you alright?"

Luke nodded. "I'm okay. I've never felt an attack like that before. What was it?"

Mara threw one of his arms over her shoulders and began to help him back towards the ship. "A power that drains the life from an enemy or enemies as the case may be. Come one. Let's head back to the ship and then home to Endor. The Alliance needs to hear about this."

They boarded the ship and Mara got Luke to the captains cabin. Wade's dark green eyes were big and anxious. "Is Master Skywalker okay?"

Luke smiled at him. "I'm by no means a master, Wade. Call me Luke. I'm alright, just a little drained from a fight with four Dark Jedi."

Jan and Kyle started. "Dark Jedi! What were they doing here?"

Luke shook his head. "I think they were here to trap and kill Mara and I. I'm not sure though. They mentioned several names: Darth Diabolis and Darth Revan."

Kyle shivered. "Darth? Like Darth Vader?"

Luke shook his head and stood shakily. "I don't know. I need to meditate on this."

Mara put a hand on his chest to stop him, a no-nonsense look on her face. "No - you need to rest, mister. Lay back down."

"Mara, I'm fine. Besides, meditation helps with healing, especially with force related injuries. Why don't you join me? You too, Wade. Let's go."

Mara narrowed her emerald green eyes at him. "Fine. But if you don't clear up, I'm going to tie you to the bed until you fall asleep."

A wicked grin crossed Luke's face. "Don't threaten me with a good time, Mara. Come on, lets go."

Mara actually blushed and swatted Luke playfully on the rear. Wade scrunched his face up and said, "EEWWW!"

Kyle and Jan both gave embarrassed, disgusted looks as Luke, Mara and Wade headed towards a small room that had no definitive purpose. Luke had Mara and Wade sit so that they formed a sort of triangle. Taking a deep breath, Luke said, "Clear your minds. Let go of all your worries and fears and open yourselves to the voice of the force. Allow it to flow through you, to penetrate you and surround you. Dwell in the ebb and flow of its currents and -"

"New students you have already, I see, young Luke."

All three of them jumped up with a cry and turned towards the odd, croaking voice and they froze at the sight. Five glowing, translucent figures stood there. Luke and Mara recognized three of them but the other two were utterly unfamiliar. Luke smiled and said, "It is good to see you again Masters, Father. May I ask who these others are?"

Two of them ghosted forward and one of them, a tall man with long hair and a scruffy beard and mustache. "My name is Qui-Gon Jinn. We spoke a week and some days ago and I warned you of a dark time ahead. We are the five I spoke of."

The other stepped forward as well. "I am Qu Rahn. We each have knowledge that will assist you in the fight against the dark side. Realize this: Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade, you are about to face the greatest fight of your lives and the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance. How successful you are depends wholly on your connection to the force and your trust in one another. Do you understand?"

Luke gripped Mara's hand in his left, living hand and said, "We do, Master."

Rahn nodded. "Good."

Suddenly, the door opened behind the living Jedi and Kyle walked in, only to freeze and go, "What the hell?"

He gaped at the five ghostly figures. "Luke, buddy, tell me what I'm looking at."

Yoda hobble forward. "Come forward, Kyle and Wade. Kneel down and let me see you."

Hesitantly, they knelt down before the little spirit. Yoda looked them each in the eyes for several long minutes. Finally, he said, "Careful you each must be of the dark side. Much anger and hate, I sense in both of you. Hurt you have been and my sympathy, you have. Weary you must be. Great Jedi you could be."

Both of them averted their eyes. Obi-Wan Kenobi cleared his throat and said, "As Rahn said, we each have a gift for you - a piece of knowledge that will be vital in the war to come."

The five old masters stepped into a line and one by one came forward. Anikan Skywalker started, smiling at his son. "I have a location to find a holocron that was made to detect force sensitive beings. It is on Vjun in the castle of Bast which I owned while I was Darth Vader. It is still in Imperial hands unless I am mistaken so the mission will be dangerous."

Obi-wan Kenobi stepped forward. "In a krayt dragon cave on Tatooine, I hid a holocron that I made. It is the sum of the knowledge I wrote in my journals. It will assist you in the training of new Jedi."

Yoda hobbled forward and said, "No holocron I have for you. A location I have. Commit these coordinates to memory, you must."

Luke and Mara dutifully committed the coordinates to memory but Kyle blurted out, "Wait one second! That's at the center of the Deep Core."

Yoda chuckled and said, "Yes it is, young Kyle. Go there, you should if a place to hide or rest you need."

Qui-Gon Jinn stepped forward. "In this war, your Jedi will need lightsabers. Go to Ossus. There you will find many and for crystals, go to the crystal caves on Dantooine. With those two locations, you shall have all the weapons you need."

Lastly, Qu Rahn stepped forward and said, "I can sense unique force talents in each of you. Luke, I sense in you, the unique ability to detect shatterpoints. Very few have ever had that ability or had it as strongly as you."

Luke furrowed his brows. "But what does that mean, Master?"

"It means that you can look at anything, a person, a situation or an object and see its strongest points and its weakest points. Master Mace Windu used it effectively in lightsaber duels for example."

Luke still looked a little confused and Rahn said, "In an everyday activity or process, do you ever find yourself able to just identify what you need to do to make a project work or need to avoid what will cause it to break down?"

Luke nodded. The first Death Star came to mind when he had successfully hit the exhaust port front quite the distance. Rahn continued, "It also shows you the best possible wait to exploit such points or avoid them."

Suddenly, Mara remembered wondering how Luke knew just what to do to make her feel unbelievably blissful whenever they made love. Her green eyes widened and she stared at him, her face other-wise expressionless. _The cyborg-spawn, son of a Sith was using the force on me!_ _That's not fair!_

Sensing her mental huff, Luke looked at her, cocked a brow and then his blue eyes shot wide, realizing what she had. Rahn was mentioning Wade's mechanical ability was unique, saying that he should, with training be able to look at any droid, vehicle or machine and know how to operate it, optimize it or sabotage it. Mara's voice came across their force link. _Cheater. I never used the force on you._

Luke barely suppressed a smile and replied. _Not totally true, Dearest Love. I remember several times you sent me some rather detailed mental images._

Mara averted her eyes with the tiniest sign of huffiness. _It's not the same and you know it._

 _Mara, why are you complaining? Does it bother you that much?_

 _It bothers me because I won't ever be able to make it as good for you as it is for me, Luke._

 _Bantha poodoo!_

 _Seriously, Luke. I..._

"Kriff, you two! You need to not do that." snapped Kyle. Luke and Mara turned back to the five masters. Luke blushed and mumbled, "Sorry, masters."

Rahn chuckled and said, "It's no problem. Kyle's gift is a unique shielding ability that can shield anyone he chooses from the dark side, no matter the form it takes. The only drawback is that, so long as you maintain the shield, it will draw on your own reserves of strength. Remember that. Finally, Mara Jade, your unique ability is mental communication - you can see into the minds of others with stark clarity and can express your own through the force with equal clarity. Tell me, Jedi Skywalker, Jedi Jade, do you two speak to one another mentally or through the force?"

Kyle snorted and said, "They just were."

Rahn chuckled again. "Well, unless the two of you have a strong force bond, which you very well might, that is do mostly to Jedi Jade's ability to transmit and receive thoughts through the force. With training, she should be able to do that with any other Jedi. Practice these skills, my friends and they will be a great aid in this coming war against the Lords of the Sith."

Luke bowed to them. "Thank you, Masters. We will put this information to good use."

The spirits of the masters bowed and one by one, faded. Just before he did, Anikan Skywalker said, "We will be with you for the duration, my son. May the force be with you."

Then they were alone. Luke looked at Mara, Wade and Kyle. After a moment, he said, "I am going to talk to high command about this new Sith threat and will request that they allow me to start acquiring what we need and start training new Jedi."

They each nodded. Luke took a step forward and staggered slightly. Mara was there in an instant. "Let's get you to bed, my love."

Luke nodded tiredly. Across their force link, he asked, _You're not really upset about my shatterpoint ability, are you?_

Mara smiled reassuringly. _I was a little annoyed but right now, I actually find it strangely arousing. I mean, thinking about it; you know, through the force, everything that would feel good and through my telepathy, exactly what I want at that moment. It also gives me a reason to keep things new and exciting for you._

Luke smiled again as they went into the captain's cabin and the door slid shut behind them.

Wade was in the cabin right next to them, practicing meditating when he suddenly began to hear faint but still intelligible and rather intimate sounds. To make matters worse, while they were in hyperspace, Kyle and Jan were in the cabin on the other side of him and he began to be able to hear noises from that cabin as well. Feeling awkward and like and intruder, Wade ran to the cockpit to watch the tunnel of hyperspace.

 **Updated May 25, 2016**


	11. Chapter 11: Dark Partnership

**Warning: Mature Content Ahead**

 **One week before Luke and Mara arrived on Tattoine – The Planet of the Carbonite Army**

Darth Diabolis strode down the ramp of the shuttle that had returned him to the planet where he had been awakened after over four thousand years. To his left was his former apprentice and Shadow Hand Darth Heluquin and to his right was his new apprentice, Silri of the Nightsister clan from Dathomir. It was good to be back. For a week, Diabolis and Heluquin had absorbed all the information of galactic history from Tyber Zann's records. When that was over, Diabolis had struck a mutually beneficial deal with the crime lord. Now he was home. Striding into the mountain hideout of his army, Darth Diabolis commanded Darth Heluquin, "Awaken all of our Dark Jedi, my friend. I have a mission for some of them."

Lord Heluquin bowed and obeyed. Diabolis went back to the block that he had once hibernated in and used the force to disintegrate it. From beneath, he raised a small vault. Within the vault were a holocron and a datapad. The first, he set on the ground and activated and a massive star map showed with a trillion stars. Scratching his chiseled chin, Diabolis concentrated. The holocron focused in on a large section – the outer rim. It then went to a small green and blue planet. "So this Luke Skywalker is on Naboo."

Silri felt a zing of alarm go through her. Cautiously, she said, "My Lord, Luke Skywalker defeated the emperor and Darth Vader. He will be a deadly enemy."

Diabolis turned to Silri with a smile and motioned her to stand beside him. "Come, Lady Silri – let me show you my plan. Skywalker will soon wish to begin training new Jedi. This Mara Jade is one possible student but he will need to find more – especially after we reveal ourselves. The nearest planet with a force sensitive worthy of Jedi training is –"

The holocron changed its focus to a desert planet. " – Tatooine, Skywalker's home planet unless I'm mistaken. He will go here, I think and I will have a Dark Jedi Master and three Acolytes meet him there. That way, we will test the waters."

Silri nodded. Diabolis shut down the holocron and gently guided Silri over to a bank of computers. Attaching the datapad to it, he checked the stats of the carbonite blocks and the war droids that had be stored away in another section of the mountain. He frowned slightly and said, "Well we will need new power cells for the droid army and weapons and armor for the soldiers. We will also need vehicles, ships and other various kinds of equipment. Let me see – ah, good. We have more than enough credits and I'm sure Crime Lord Zann would like to have a few favors owed to him."

Once again, Silri felt compelled to warn him. "My Lord, forgive me but owing a man like Tyber Zann is dangerous. One never knows how he will wish to collect his debts. I have worked with him for some time and he is a vicious man to be indebted t."

Diabolis nodded. "I'm counting on it, my dear. As long as he thinks he can benefit from this partnership, he won't do anything to risk it."

"Master."

From behind him came a deep voice. Turning, Diabolis was pleased to see four Dark Jedi standing before him. Walking quickly forward, Diabolis took his hand. "It is good to see you, my old friend."

The man he spoke to, a dark skinned man with black eyes said, "Where is Lord Revan, Master?"

Diabolis's face fell. In a sad voice, he said, "I'm sorry my friend but Lord Revan is dead. We have slept for over four thousand years and the galaxy is strange. Unfortunately, we do not have time for a lengthy explanation. I need you to take the shuttle that is outside the mountain and fly it to the planet Tatooine. There you will shadow a young man who is strong in the force. Your mission is to wait for a pair of Jedi – a man and a woman. I will give you their information to study on the way. When you find them, kill them."

The Dark Jedi bowed and said, "Are you now the Dark Lord of the Sith, Master?"

Diabolis smiled and nodded. "I am Darth Diabolis and my former apprentice is Darth Heluquin, my Shadow Hand."

Immediately, the four Dark Jedi bowed and said, "We are yours to command, Darth Diabolis."

Lord Diabolis smiled. "Go my friends and complete your mission."

Immediately, they stood and departed. Diabolis watched them go for several moments before a shuffling brought his attention back to Silri. He took a moment to run his eyes up and down her feminine figure. She shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how to react. Diabolis smiled and said, "I will continue your training soon, Lady Silri. There are a few more things I must attend to and then I am all yours."

Silri felt a thrill at those last four words. He was all hers. Silri crossed her arms and raised her chin. "Do not keep me waiting too long, my Lord. I was promised a lesson in passion."

The flash of desire in Darth Diabolis's yellow eyes caused her to catch her breath. "A lesson in passion, you will have, my Lady. Be patient with me just a little longer."

Silri smiled and strode up to him. Standing on the tips of her toes, she whispered in his ear. "I am not gifted with an over abundance of patience, Lord Diabolis."

She traced the outside of his ear with her tongue and a shudder wracked his body. Suddenly, he took her by the shoulders and pulled her into a violent, searing kiss. When they separated, he rasped heatedly, "Perhaps I have much to learn myself. Give me five minutes, my dear."

With a burst of speed, he ran to the dais and stood beside Lord Heluquin before addressing the Dark Jedi before him. "My students, I have both grievous and joyous news. Darth Revan and Darth Malak are dead and we have slumbered for four millennia. The galaxy is strange. However, it is also ripe for the taking. Recently an Empire has been shattered by an alliance of rebels. Both are now weak. With careful planning and the partnership with the right organizations, we will take this galaxy and build a new Sith Empire – the Sith Empire that Darth Revan dreamed of."

Cheers followed this statement. Raising his hand, Diabolis's voice became serious and deadly. "My name is Darth Diabolis, Dark Lord of the Sith. My apprentice has completed his training and is now Darth Heluquin, my Shadow Hand. If any wish to challenge us, step forward now."

None stepped forward. After almost a minute, one after another of the Dark Jedi Masters fell to their knees and the Acolytes followed as one and they called in one voice, "Command us, Darth Diabolis."

Diabolis smiled and said, "Regain your strength. Continue your training and be ready to activate the carbonite-encased soldiers once we have new weapons and armor for them. A glorious day is coming."

As the Dark Jedi went to obey his commands, Diabolis turned to Heluquin. "My old friend, the two biggest threats to our new Empire will be this Rebel Alliance and the fragments of Palpatine's Empire. Your mission will be to destroy the Rebel Alliance. Do not underestimate them, my friend. To have stood against the might of two of the most powerful Dark Lords of the Sith in history, they have spirit, skill and the force is clearly with them. Be cautious and shrewd. I am counting on you."

Darth Heluquin bowed. "As you command, my Lord. When shall I begin?"

"When the first shipment of weapons, armor, ships and vehicles arrive; Crime Lord Zann has hired out a full fleet and army of his mercenaries to supplement our own forces. When they arrive, prep your troops and choose a planet as your base of operations. From there, begin your campaign."

Heluquin's yellow eyes flashed with eagerness. Diabolis clasped his shoulder before turning to the waiting Silri. Striding to her, Diabolis said, "Let us go to a more private area, Lady Silri."

Ushering her gently with a hand on the small of her back, Diabolis took her out of the mountain to a landed Action-IV freighter gifted to him by Tyber Zann in token of their new partnership. On board was totally empty and one of the cargo holds was easily large enough for a training area. When they reached it, both of them dropped their Sith Robes. Silri wore the leather nightsister garb and Diabolis wore a formfitting black tunic, revealing broad shoulders and thick muscle. Silri felt a churning in her lower stomach. She wanted – _needed_ to see more. Diabolis smiled and clasped his hands behind his back. "Peace is a lie. There is only Passion."

Silri dutifully repeated the first line of the Sith creed. Diabolis said, "Passion is the foundation of the power of the Sith. It can turn anger to rage or love to lust, both of which grant you strength."

This is not what Silri had in mind when he had promised her a lesson in passion. She didn't want to hear him talk. Trying to keep her mounting impatience from boiling over, Silri listened. Diabiolis smiled knowingly. "For this lesson, you will decide where your passion will take you and where you will draw your strength from. The choice is yours."

Silri's attitude changed instantly. He was putting her firmly in command – which was just what she would have wanted anyway. Smiling, she strode up to him with feline grace and said, "So the choice is mine. I am not familiar with the instructing technique where the teacher allows the student to decide how she learns her lesson."

Her pale hands were pressing against the fabric that covered his chest. "You never met Darth Revan. He taught me that sometimes, it is best give the student control. It was a test of that student."

Silri ran her hands up to his shoulders, pressing herself against him. "That is odd. Only the shrewdest of students would know what they **need** to learn and forgo what they **want** to learn for it."

She shivered and she felt his hands on her lower back, pulling her more firmly against him. "A very astute observation, Lady Silri; tell me, what do you think you need to learn verses what you want to learn?"

Silri desperately wanted to forget about any lesson for the moment and take the Dark Lord. She wanted to have her way with him and then they could worry about lessons in the dark side. As if he could read her mind, Diabolis smiled. "Everything is a lesson, Silri. Do as you see fit and I will instruct you."

Mature Content Begins Here

With a coy smile on her tattooed face, Silri unfastened the sleeveless leather tunic and pulled it back off her shoulders, leaving her bare to the waste. She spread her arms and purred, "Instruct me, my Lord. I will welcome whatever you choose to teach me."

Diabolis's bright yellow eyes sparked as if with lightning. In one vicious motion, he took her, crushing her lips against his and slamming her against a bulkhead. Just as viciously, she attacked his utility belt, allowing it and the lightsaber attached to it to thud to the floor. As she pushed the tunic off his shoulders and ran her hands along the corded, smooth skin, Diabolis used the force to unbuckle her belt and, with a wave of his hand, sent the leather tunic and belt to the other side of the room. Pulling away from another blood boiling kiss, Diabolis said in a maddeningly composed voice, "Feel it flow through you. With that passion, that unbridled lust, you can sense the dark side of the force. Take it. Use it."

Silri could feel it indeed. Reaching out, she delved deeply into is and gasped as new waves of lust filled her. With a snarl, she swung Diabolis around and slammed him against the wall before wrapping her legs around his waist and levering herself up. "Stop talking, my Lord;" she rasped before biting his ear with just enough force to make him hiss. She kissed and bit her way down to his shoulder, reveling in how each time she sank her teeth lightly into his flesh, Diabolis hissed with pleasurable pain. Suddenly, she felt his teeth close on her shoulder and the feeling sent fire straight to her core. Again and again, she felt it on her neck, her collar bone. When Diabolis bit down on the tip of her pale breast, she keened and commanded, "Again!"

Diabolis continued as she bit down on his shoulder again, leaving shallow marks. She dropped back to the floor and used the force to unbuckle the belt that held up his pants and then shoved them down. Diabolis did the same to her before spinning them both. Silri found herself leaning against the wall in front of her, her legs spread. She looked over her shoulder at Diabolis who looked at her, cocking a fine dark eyebrow. Silri barked, "Now!"

With an amused smile, Diabolis obeyed. With a precision that only one strong in the force could have at such an angle, he drove himself into her and they both hissed with pleasure. Slowly at first, he thrust himself in and out of her. Silri was basking in the pleasure that was flooding her body and mind when she felt herself raised inexplicably off the ground. Then she felt it as Darth Diabolis used the force to levitate her in a different position with his manhood still buried deeply within her. To compound it, she felt his rough hands moving over her lean, muscular form. One was moving down her stomach until it came to the very sensitive bundle of nerves just above where he was coupled to her. His other hand moved up to roughly cup her breast, running a callused thumb over her nipple. Again, he began to thrust in and out of her. "More! MORE!" Silri commanded with a hiss. "I crave more!"

"Good;" rumbled Diabolis behind her, his voice still frustratingly composed, neither breathy nor winded. Silri marveled at his ability to focus and divide his attention. As his hands worked, his mind suspended her and his hips pounded himself in and out, his mouth ravished the flesh of her neck, upper back and shoulders. Silri's breathing became hisses and moans of pleasure as he drove her higher and higher. Even so, it was another several minutes before they both uttered long, guttural roars of release. Silri's ended in a long hiss and Diabolis, finally breathing hard, released her, holding her only until he was sure her wobbly legs were support her in the midst of her euphoric high.

Mature Content Ends Here

They both brought up and refastened their trousers before she turned to face him. Diabolis, his still bared chest heaving, asked, "Is the lesson well learned, Lady Silri?"

Silri leaned back against the bulkhead, her teeth-marked breasts still rising and falling, replied in a breathy rasp, "It is well learned, my Lord. However, I would not object to some remedial training whenever it pleases you, Lord Diabolis."

The Dark Lord smiled as he summoned both their clothes to him, handing Silri her leather tunic and belt. "I will be sure to remember that, my Lady."

As he too put his tunic back on, Silri purred, "Did you learn anything, my Lord?"

Diabolis smiled broadly. "I did indeed. I was correct when I first met you. You are a magnificent and powerful woman. I hope that I may increase both your power and magnificence even more."

Silri, now dressed again, strode up and placed her hands on his shoulders, pulling herself up beside his ear to whisper, "My magnificence and power can only be made greater by your teaching and attention, my Lord. I will gladly and without question accept anything that you wish to give me."

Diabolis wrapped his arms around her waste. "I will teach you anything that you wish to know so long as it is in my power."

"Then I will have much to learn." Silri purred again. A throat cleared and they both leisurely turned to face the open doorway. Darth Heluquin stood their, his force presence and expression reading as if he didn't know exactly what had happened. "My Lord, Tyber Zann has arrived with the fleet, army and supplies that he promised."

Turning back to Silri, Diabolis addressed his Shadow Hand. "I will be out shortly. Thank you, old friend."

Heluquin bowed and departed.

Tyber Zann watched as Darth Diabolis strode down the boarding ramp of the Action IV freighter, the witch Silri behind him. Tyber allowed a small smile to cross his face. The visual evidence told the whole story – the swollen lips, the lightly bruised necks, the way they walked even – all screamed of recent extra curricular activities. Diabolis strode up and he and Tyber bowed to one another in mutual respect. When they straightened, Tyber motioned to the ships overhead and those that were landing and unloading everything from crates to tanks. "As promised, I brought everything you ordered. Now, how do you intend to pay me?"

Diabolis motioned forward a group of Dark Jedi, a crate in between them. Inside that crate were many large value credit chips. "You may count them if you wish."

Zann did not right then and their. Instead, he shrugged with a small smile. "If I find you short any, I'll simply translate it into favors. Does that sound fair?"

Diabolis smiled again. "More than fair, my friend; tell me, have all the Night sisters been returned to Dathomir?"

Tyber nodded. "Yes they have, my Lord. They await you there but for that, I am not charging a fee. For that, I need a favor from you now. There is a fortress on Wayland. It belonged the late Emperor Palpatine. If you could take it, I won't care if you take anything you want so long as you don't take the spaarti cloning cylinders and cloaking field generators."

Diabolis smiled. "I will make it my next priority and take care of while my army and fleet are training and equipping. Is there anything else, Crime Lord Zann?"

Tyber bowed. "That will be all for the moment, my Lord. Thank you for your business. We shall be in contact."

Tyber turned to Silri, "How are the Sith treating you, Silri?"

Silri smiled coyly and strode up beside Darth Diabolis and leaned against him. "They treat me very well, Tyber Zann. I look forward to working with you in the future."

Tyber smiled thinly. He and Silri had never gotten along, even when they worked together. This partnership wouldn't change that. Bowing again, Tyber returned to the shuttle.

Diabolis watched as Tyber Zann's shuttle took off. "Fool!" hissed Silri from his side. Diabolis turned to her. "Why do you think that, me dear?"

Silri's tattooed face was wrinkled in distaste. "His lack of faith in the force is going to cause trouble in the future. He will grow restless of our partnership and betray us. It will be a waste of a good resource to kill him but I feel it will be unavoidable."

Diabolis nodded. "You are quite probably right, my dear. Regardless, until that day comes, we need him and he will need us. We can bring him greater wealth and better loot than he could dream of without us. Be patient, my dear. When the time comes, he will get his just rewards."

Silri nodded slowly before a smile spread across her face. Turning to him, she asked quietly, "If you do not have other matters or duties calling your attention, perhaps another lesson in passion would be possible."

Diabolis grinned.

 **Around the time that Luke and Mara arrive at the Alliance fleet over Endor.**

Darth Diabolis, Darth Heluquin and Silri were gathered around a star map of the galaxy. Several days earlier, they had watched on the map as the four Dark Jedi fell to Skywalker and Jade. Clearly these two Jedi were more powerful than previously thought. After a moment, Darth Diabolis said, "So it would seem that your task of bringing down the Rebellion will be more difficult than originally thought. Do you think it will be necessary to focus all our attention on them before turning to the Empire?"

Lord Heluquin shook his head vehemently. "No, my Lord. We cannot afford to give the Empire time to strengthen itself. Pressing both at once is the only way to ensure that neither grow strong enough to oppose us. I will handle Skywalker and Jade and any other forcelings they try to train."

Diabolis turned to his former apprentice. "Do you have a plan on how to do so?"

Heluquin's handsome face broke into a smiled of pure evil. "Oh yes, my Lord. If I remember correctly, there is a tome in the vault beneath my carbonite block on dark side maladies and poisons. I'm sure that somewhere in there, I will find a poison that will serve my purpose. From what history shows, the Jedi have fallen hardest at the hand of the treacherous and that brings to mind a story from the Great Sith War. Trust me, Lord Diabolis. I will destroy these two upstart Jedi one by one and any that they are training, I will bring to our side or destroy with them."

Silri crossed her arms over her chest. "I respectfully suggest that you do not underestimate them, Lord Heluquin. They have both been tempted by the dark side and come away."

Heluquin nodded. "And this will make them overconfident;"

Diabolis lifted a hand, "Or more cautious, my old friend. I believe that you will succeed but I must agree with Lady Silri. Take care not to underestimate them. When fighting dangerous opponents, that might prove fatal."

Slightly humbled, Heluquin bowed. "Of course, my friend. Thank you, Lady Silri. If you will excuse me, I will study the star map for a place to set up my base of operations."

With no reason to continue, Diabolis and Silri left Heluquin to his devices. Silri murmured, "Do you truly think he will succeed?"

Diabolis nodded confidently. "I do, my dear. He was always my best student with a keen tactical mind and a gift for the darker arts – especially those that involve dark side sorcery. If there is any besides myself to bring these two Jedi down, it will be him. If I didn't believe it to be so, I would not have sent him."

Silri nodded. Darth Diabolis was heading towards the exit of the mountain. Over his shoulder, he said, "I will be heading to Wayland for a short trip, my dear. You may accompany if you wish but do not feel that you must."

Silri smiled, wishing to revel in the chance to be alone with her master. "Where you go, I will go with you, my Lord."

A smile crossed Diabolis's face and they boarded his freighter. Within moments, they had left the planet which had been named in the honor of Darth Revan. It was now called Revanchist.

Silri lay in the arms of her master and lover as he slept during their flight to Wayland. Her emotions were conflicted. The old Nightsister pride was warring against the emotions that she felt. This Dark Lord had taken special notice of her. Her people's ways told her that she was special because she was force sensitive and a woman but this man made her _feel_ as though she was special. As he constantly told her she was, Silri felt magnificent and powerful. But her pride told her that a witch of the Nightsister clan should never feel this beholden to anyone, much less a man. Suddenly, Diablois shifted and murmured, "At war with your upbringing again, my love?"

Silri shivered as her bare skin pressed against his. "Yes, my Lord. I was always taught that I should never feel helpless or beholden to any man. The Nightbrothers are our slaves and our mates only if we wish them. All males of Dathomir are. It is hard to change what has been burned into my being since my very birth."

The Dark Lord's eyes glowed in the darkness of the cabin. "Do you wish to change that belief, Silri?"

Silri looked into those points of golden light. The question wasn't what she expected. It was not that of a lord or a teacher or a master but of a lover who truly wished to be close to one whom he loved. Silri felt her hard heart melt just a little more. "I don't know, Diabolis. I think I do but my people will not understand. They may forsake me and turn against you because you changed me, turning me away from the old ways."

Diabolis was quiet for a moment. Then he spoke again. "Tell me more about your people, my dear."

Silri smiled at him in the darkness. "Later, my Lord. First you must sleep and I think I will help you with that."

Diabolis's eyes glowed brighter. "And how will you do that, my love?"

She rolled over and lay on his chest. "By wearing you out;" she whispered in his ear.

Only a few days after leaving Revanchist, Darth Diabolist strode down the boarding ramp with Silri by his side. There was a town before them, right up against a mountain. Diabolis pointed. "That must be Mount Tantis, the former emperor's secret store house. Come, let us secure it."

Silri looked quizzically. "Should we not have the troops land with us?"

Diabolis smiled at her. "We will, my dear – after I deal with whatever Dark Jedi or Sith Acolyte Palpatine left to guard his mountain. Come. I am most curious."

They strode up to the mountain, an old man in a tunic and robe met them. His silver-white beard fell down to his scuffed leather belt. Diabolis felt that he was strong in the force – very strong indeed. Smiling and bowing respectfully, Diabolis asked him, "Are you the guardian of this mountain?"

The old man spoke in deep, raspy voice. "No I am not the guardian of the mountain. Follow me and I will take you too him."

Silri and Darth Diabolis looked at one another and followed the old man. "What are your names?" asked the old man. "I am Darth Diabolis, Dark Lord of the Sith. This is my protege, Lady Silri. Tell us, sir, who are you?"

The old man smiled thinly. "All in good time, Darth Diabolis; all in good time. First we must see the guardian of the mountain and then all will be made clear to you."

Silri looked Diabolis uncomfortably. Comfortingly placing a hand on her shoulder, Diabolis continued to head towards the mountain after the old man. It was a fairly short journey. They entered through a blast door set directly into the mountain itself and went in only a few dozen meters before being taken into a large alcove with a stone sarcophagus as well as many benches and candle stands. Immediately, Diabolis understood. Turning to face the old man, Diabolis said, "So the guardian of the mountain is already dead. I presume you are the one who killed him then?"

The old man smiled thinly and said, "Yes I did. The lights you see represent those who have come to see the guardian since I arrived here."

Imperiously, the old man raised his arms and said, "For I am Joruus C'Baoth, Jedi Master and ruler of this world."

Diabolis nodded. "Very impressive, Master C'Baoth. Let me be blunt: I need this mountain. It is very important to me. I would be willing to bargain with you or negotiate with you in whatever way you deem acceptable."

C'baoth looked perplexed. "I do not bargain, Darth Diabolis – least of all with Sith Lords. No, your journey and that of your companion ends here."

The old man lifted a hand and a torrent of white lightning blasted towards them. Diabolis ignited his lightsaber and easily caught the attack before returning an attack of his own. The purple lightning of the Sith Lord skated off a force barrier put up by Master C'Baoth. "Do you not have a weapon, Master C'Baoth?"

The old master sneered. "I need no weapon, Darth Diabolis. The force is my ally and it is all I need."

Diabolis considered before deactivating his own weapon and murmuring to Silri. "Do not interfere, Lady Silri. This fight is mine."

Empty handed, the Dark Lord and the Jedi Master faced each other. Stretching his hand out, C'Baoth sent more force lightning toward him. Diabolis lifted his hands and absorbed it, gritting his teeth at the strain. This old man was undoubtedly powerful but he wasn't a Dark Lord of the Sith. Diabolis returned with his own attack, blasting away at his opponent. Again, it skated off the Jedi Master's force barrier. Suddenly, the benches and the lid of the sarcophagus lifted and sped toward Diabolis. With a negligible wave of his hand, he sent them into the wall to shatter before sending a wave of telekinetic energy towards the old master. Again, it was nullified by the old man's barriers but the strain was beginning to show on the old man's face. Not allowing him to recover, Diabolis lifted his hand and began to try and crush the barriers of the old man. Even as he did, C'Baoth continued his attack with force lightning and benches thrown with the force. Diabolis himself was beginning to feel the effects of the fight as he tried to focus on his attack and his defense. He could sense Silri's anxiety and wish to join in the fight. "Stay where you are, Silri. Do no interfere."

Suddenly, C'Baoth smiled a tight, strained smile and said, "She is precious to you, isn't she, Darth Diabolis? Can you defend her and fight me at the same time, I wonder?"

Suddenly, a half dozen candle stands rose and flew towards Silri. With a snarl, Diabolis grabbed with and held them less than a meter from her. "That is enough. You are no Jedi Master, you are a mad old man named for a Jedi Master killed well before the Clone Wars. I have had enough of this game, old man."

For several seconds, the candle stands just hovered there but slowly, they moved away from her. Suddenly, with a roar, Diabolis sent them towards C'Baoth. The old man leapt and twisted out of the way with surprising agility before sending more force lightning at Diabolis. Diabolis absorbed it without flinching and sent it back at the old man with great force. C'Baoth gritted his teeth as he tried to absorb the energy but it was too much. Slowly, it began to overwhelm him. With a triumphant cry, Diabolis sent a fresh torrent that obliterated the old man. To both his and Silri's surprise, when the old man died, a blast of purplish dark side energy exploded from within the old master, disintegrating his body. Diabolis held out his hand and threw a barrier over himself and Silri. The remaining candles were extinguished and the sarcophagus cracked. Turning to Silri, Diabolis smiled. He looked exhausted but calmly said, "You may summon the soldiers to secure this mountain for their master Tyber Zann. I am going to take a look around this mountain."

Silri looked in wonder at Darth Diabolis. She wondered, not for the first time, if she would ever see the full scope of his power. She bowed low, "Of course, my Lord. Please hurry back. I will be restlessly awaiting your return to the freighter."

Darth Diabolis smiled, leaned down and kissed her before heading deeper into the mountain.

 **Update May 25, 2016**


	12. Chapter 12: New Jedi

Luke, Mara, Kyle and Jan stood before the Alliance High Council the morning after they arrived at the fleet. Luke had given his report on the Naboo situation and then proceeded to tell them about the four Dark Jedi that he and Mara had battled on Tatooine. A new member of the high council, a Bothan named Borsk Fey'lya, scowled and said, "Tell me, Colonel Skywalker, under what authority did you go to Tatooine? I don't remember is being under your mission parameters to Naboo. I also can't help but wonder why Alliance fuel was used to take trips to Geonosis and Tatooine while in the midst of your mission to Tatooine. Finally, this money paid to you under guise as smugglers, where is that? Since you were on an Alliance mission, by rights, that money should go to the Alliance."

Luke could already tell that this new councilor, who had apparently brought a large number of bothons firmly to the side of the Alliance, was going to get on his nerves. He had never really liked bothons in general. Calmly, he replied, "I took these liberties in order to give ourselves the best possible chance on the mission. As far as the side trip to Tatooine on our way back here, I can only say that the force brought me there."

The bothon's fur rippled. "So what you're saying is that, what the force tells you, you do, is that so, Colonel Skywalker?"

Luke nodded, not liking where this line of questioning was going. "Was it not the force that told you to shoot down one of your own squadron mates several years ago, Shira Brie, I believe it was?"

Luke winced at the memory. Leia jumped in, talking sternly but composedly, "Councilor Fey'lya, you are out of line. It turned out that Lieutenant Brie was an Imperial spy in our midst whose mission was to kill Luke."

Fey'lya waved it away, saying, "My point is this: is his following the force while a Colonel in Alliance Special Operations and Intelligence really in the best interest of the Alliance?"

Admiral Akbar grunted and said, "I think it is, Councilor Fey'lya. Jedi Skywalker following the force has often proved to be an operation saving decision and has never caused a mission to fail. For this, we have always given him and Lieutenant Jade some leeway on such missions."

Fey'lya's eyes narrowed and ears flattened. "I'm glad you brought that up, Admiral Akbar. I have a question concerning this Lieutenant Mara Jade. Why is she still allowed to go free after serving the Empire for most of her life? Wasn't she a personal servant and courtesan to the late Emperor Palpatine himself? It is quite a risk to allow her to go free, especially considering that at the moment of her supposed defection, she was hunting the last remaining Jedi in the galaxy, Luke Skywalker."

Luke felt his patience begin to fracture and could sense Mara's incredulity and resentment at the implications of what Fey'lya was saying. This bothon was dancing from one issue to another, trying to insert himself into as many matters as possible. He was about to retort when Mon Mothma seemed to lose her temper. Slapping the desk in front of her, she glared at the bothon and calmly stated, "Councilor Fey'lya, I will not have you inserting yourself into every issue simply to stir up trouble. Mara Jade has proven herself many times now that she is a loyal soldier and agent of the Alliance and a Jedi Knight in her own right and that is that. As far as Colonel Skywalker's side missions, we have always and will continue to allow him to operate as he feels is necessary until such a time as it proves dangerous. Now Colonel, tell us about these Dark Jedi?"

Luke nodded, thankful that Fey'lya was silenced. "They wore gray and black robes and wielded unique lightsabers. According to Lieutenant Jade, who has experience with such things, they were not any of Palpatine's servants. Palpatine's Dark Jedi wore what ever they wished unless they were Inquisitors who wore either red and black robes or uniforms. Their lightsabers were pretty uniform – red bladed with identical hilts. Only the emperor and Darth Vader having unique hilts."

Councilor Fey'lya pointed at Jade, "Unless I'm mistaken, Lieutenant Jade wielded a unique maroon bladed lightsaber during her service to the emperor. Are you sure that they weren't Emperor's Hands?"

Luke shook his head. "From what we understand, the emperor only had one Hand. We haven't found any evidence of any others either. Not only that, they mentioned two names that I am not familiar with – Darth Revan and Darth Diabolis. I think that we have two Sith Lords somewhere out there, poising themselves to conquer the galaxy. That's what the Dark Jedi claimed at least."

Councilor Fey'lya crossed his arms and frowned, not convinced. Luke could feel Mara's temper fraying even more quickly than his own was. Mon Mothma sighed and said, "For the moment, you may go – all of you. We are going need to discuss this more before we come to any conclusions."

Luke, Mara, Kyle and Jan made their way to the dining facility in silence. Mara murmured to Luke, "I don't like bothons. All they care about is their own political positions. It doesn't matter to them whether they are helping or hurting the whole cause so long as their position is increased or made better somehow."

Luke nodded. They went into the mess hall and got themselves some breakfast. Wade was sitting between two men who Luke recognized. One was and older looking man named Ferroda Grey. Few people knew it but he was actually a clone of a Jedi Knight from the Clone Wars. His designation was X2 but he preferred the name Ferroda Grey after his father's surname and that of another Jedi Master during the Clone Wars. The other man was around Luke's own age. He was the commander of Blue Squadron and his name was Keyan Farlander. Like Wade Vox and Kyle Katarn, they were both strong in the force and Luke was hoping to be able to train them someday - preferably in the near future. As they all walked up behind the three men, Mara stopped, an amused smile on her beautiful face as she heard the young man talking. Both the other two men had turned and saw Luke and Mara and were both trying to shush him but Wade wasn't paying attention. "I mean sure she's very attractive but seriously she's with Master Skywalker. Besides, she's a little old for me. Hell, she could be my mother, right?"

Mara picked that moment to step forward and whisper silkily, "Hello Wade."

Luke and Kyle burst into laughter and both Kyan and Ferroda said, "Run kid, run!"

They themselves stood, took their half completed meals to the turn-in line and then walked as quickly as possible out of the mess hall. Wade tried but Mara gently but firmly shoved him back into his seat. Kyle and Jan sat across from them as Luke and Mara sat on either side of him. Mara ignored her food for a moment and sent Luke a thought across their mental link. _You think it will be okay if I have a little fun with him? He seems tough enough and, after what I just heard, I can't pass up this chance.  
_

 _Go ahead, love. Just don't scare him or hurt him too badly._

Smiling prettily and said, "So what were you and those two boys talking about, Wade? Sounded like a pretty interesting conversation."

Wade's face was trying to turn red and white at the same time. He began to stutter and stammer till Mara covered his mouth and said, "Take a deep breath, and speak slowly and clearly, kid or else people are going to start thinking your not all there."

Wade was quiet as for a moment then, looking down at his tray of food, he said, "Well Lieutenant Farlander and Lieutenant Grey were asking me how I met you and Master Skywalker and I was telling them. One of them mentioned that..." and his mouth shut like a trap. Mara leaned back in her seat and threw a few strands of curly red-gold hair out of her face and crossed her arms. Wade's eyes shifted from her dazzling green eyes to a part of her that was a bit lower and then shot right back up, looking even more afraid. Luke recognized the 'you're mine now' look in Mara's eyes and she said, "Okay, said what and who mentioned it?"

Wade said, "Keyan Farlander asked me what I thought of you and I simply stated that I found you attractive."

Mara smiled sweetly again and said, "Well that's really sweet of you, kid. But I heard a little something after that. Now I'm not totally sure, I could be wrong but apparently you said something about someone being old enough to be your mother and being a little too old for you. Now, surely you weren't talking about me, were you?"

Wade's face was once again turning from white to red and back and he tried again to run and, once again, Mara pushed him back down, an expectant smile on her face. "I was... I was... um..."

"'Cause, you see, I was thinking of looking for a little fun on the side and I thought of you first;" purred Mara. Wade's jaw went completely slack. Luke had turned his face away, laughing so hard that he couldn't even make any noise. "Oh, Skywalker here is great fun but sometimes I would like someone just a little younger. I'd say, oh, about seventeen or eighteen. Surely you don't think I'm too old for you, do you?"

She had taken Wade's hand and gently, seductively stroked it while looking into his eyes with increasing earnestness. Wade shot a look at Luke and then back at Mara and then at Luke again before croaking, "What... what... what?"

Finally, Mara couldn't contain her amusement anymore. She burst out laughing, let go of his hand, and ruffled his messy dark hair fondly. "Stars above, kid - you're almost as much fun as Luke was when we first met. You might just be even more naive than he was. Take it easy, Wade. I'm messing with you. You really should be more aware of your surroundings, though."

Luke had just regained control of his mirth and nudged Wade. "Trust me, Wade - this means she likes you. Go on and finish your meal. Oh and just remember, when she catches up with Keyan and Ferroda, they're going to get it even worse than you did."

His face still flushed, Wade smiled and asked, "Can I watch?"

Luke and Mara just laughed.

It was a few hours later that Luke was summoned alone to the council's conference room. When he entered, Han said, "At ease, Colonel."

Luke hid a smile. Han hated military ceremony and avoided it at all cost. Mon Mothma looked at Luke and said, "We have decided that your mission was a complete success and that anything you did during and after it was within your authority as a Colonel and a Jedi Knight."

Councilor Fey'lya shifted and it was clear he didn't like that decision. Mon Mothma spoke again. "Also, Councilor Organa has mentioned that in the near future, you would like to start training more Jedi. One thing that the council agrees upon unanimously is that this needs to be a priority. We are also curious as to how you plan on doing this?"

Luke thought about it for a moment. "In truth, I was just hoping to have a space on one of the cruisers or other ships cleared for us. Beyond that, I'm honestly not sure. Truth is, I wish I had more training before being required to train others."

They all nodded and Mon Mothma smiled before looking over at Admiral Ackbar. "Is the _Lost Cause_ back from Dac yet, Admiral?"

The Mon Calamari blinked his huge eyes and said, "Not yet, Madam President. It should be here within a few days. Colonel Skywalker,"

Luke turned to face the Admiral. "we are assigning you an Assault Frigate. It used to be the Dreadnaught _New Hope._ After suffering extensive damage over many battles, we have converted it to a heavily modified Assault Frigate. Rogue Squadron, Blue Squadron and all ground and fighter elements of Grey Squadron are being transferred to the ship as well. Do to the sensitivity and importance of this operation, we have assigned Councilor Organa to the ship to keep tabs and report to us. General Callrissian will be the ship's official commander and General Solo will be in charge of all security detachments and the starfighter commander. Here,"

Luke walked up, barely containing his grin as he took the datacard. "This is a full roster of the ships crew and contingent. Look over it and see if there is anyone else you wish to add to it. As soon as the ship arrives, General's Solo and Callrissian will coordinate all physical transfers. I suggest you have your Jedi students pack up and prepare to move."

Luke snapped to attention and said, "Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. This will give us the best training opportunity."

Mon Mothma smiled warmly and said, "You are dismissed. May the force be with you."

Luke saluted and left. Mara waited outside. When she saw him, she smiled brilliantly, laughed and hugged him excitedly. "There giving you your own capital chip! Luke, this is so exciting!"

Luke kissed her and said, "No, they are giving _us our_ own capital ship. This isn't just for me. It's going to be a mobile training vessel."

They separated and started for their quarters. Even through her excitement, Luke could sense apprehension in Mara. "Is something wrong, Love?"

Mara shook her head, her red-gold curls bouncing and she smiled at him, looping her arm through his. "No, nothing's wrong, my love. I just don't know if I'm ready to be a teacher, that's all."

Luke sobered a little. "Me neither. I feel like there is so much that I have to learn still. In fact I think I'm going to read some of Ben's journals tonight. Maybe that will help. Plus, at some point, we need to go and get the items the masters told us about. Those two holocrons would be helpful, plus the lightsabers, plus the crystals from Dantooine."

Mara smiled at him. "We have time, my love. I doubt that these two new Sith Lords are going to send an army of Dark Jedi after us. You mind if I read over your shoulder?"

Luke smiled. "As long as you promise to behave yourself, yes you can read over my shoulder."

Mara giggled. "I will make no such promise, Luke. I was thinking that, after a goodly amount of reading and maybe some meditation, we could practice our unique skills together - you can work on detecting and taking advantage of shatterpoints and I'll work on force telepathy."

Luke nodded. "Sounds like a good idea. The masters said they were important so we shouldn't neglect them."

Since they were walking through crowded corridors of a star cruiser, they spoke casually out loud but through their force link, Mara said, _The only downside to us being back here is that we won't get as much alone time and staying in each others quarters is a definite out. I mean can you imagine if Wedge or one of the other Rogues caught us sneaking back and forth?"_

Luke chuckled at the thought. _Wedge and the other Rogues would cover for us, I'm sure. But we live in officer country. Imagine if Commander Terra or Lieutenant Page caught us. That would be bad._

They had made it to Luke's quarters and Mara leaned against the door frame as Luke grabbed Obi-Wan's training guide. Looking around, Mara ducked into his quarters and shut the door. Luke turned and she kissed him heatedly. _It would give me an opportunity to work on my stealth and infiltration._

Luke wrapped his arms around her, enjoying the feel of her soft, full lips and the weight of her body pressed against his. Wistfully, he thought, _Oh boy is this going to take getting used to. I'm afraid we may have become to comfortable with being able to do what we want all the time._

Mara separated and gazed at him, marveling as she often did at the clarity of his dazzling blue eyes. They always left her a little breathless. Smiling, she rested her forehead against his. _Well then we'll just have to come up with an excuse to leave from time to time. For now, we have the holocron in the Krayt Dragon cave on Tatooine, the Crystal Caves of Dantooine and finding Ossus and those lightsabers. After we get settled on the_ Lost Cause, _we'll make it a priority. Until then, there is always the_ Ouster _and... you know, you really need to find a name for your YT-2000, Luke and something beside the_ Krayt Pearl. _That sounds way to Outer Rim._

Luke chuckled and he turned them towards the door to his quarters. Out loud, he said, "Come on. Let's go to the lounge and get something to drink while we read. I'll work on a name for the ship."

Mara nodded and suggested. "How about the _Sky Walker?"_

"No."

She chuckled. "The _Crop Duster."_

"No."

"The _Moisture Vaperator"_

"Really, Mara? REALLY?" Luke reached over and gently prodded her just under her ribs. She shied away, giggling and swatting at him. "Stop it! Fine, I'll be nice."

Luke shook his head. "I doubt it."

Mara laced her arm through his and said, "Oh come on. I can be nice."

"I don't doubt your ability, just your willingness, my love."

They strode into the lounge and looked around. Rogue Squadron was there playing a big game of Sabacc and in one corner was Wade, Keyan, Kyle, Ferroda, Han and Leia. They were all crowded around Wade who was showing them his lightsaber. Luke and Mara, curious about what was going on, made their way over. Wade grinned at them, blushing just a little when he saw Mara, and said, "Hey. I was just showing them my lightsaber and explaining how I built it."

Leia nodded, thoroughly impressed. "The way he explains it, building a lightsaber doesn't sound so hard."

Luke chuckled. "It's not difficult, just time consuming and requires great care. Having said that, though, the fact the Wade was able to without any guidance or construction is quite a feat. He has quite a gift for gadgets and mechanics and such."

Wade blushed, embarrassed by the recognition. Leia turned to Luke and Mara. "So when do the rest of us get to build our lightsabers?"

They all looked expectantly at them. Luke sighed and said, "Well as soon as we get transferred to our new ship, I have a couple missions for us that will help with that. Until then, we will have to share, I guess."

Mara nodded. "I have an extra lightsaber that can be passed around. Wade has one. I don't suppose that Kenobi had an extra in his trunk, did he?"

Luke scratched his head. "I don't think so but I didn't really take a close look. I'll double check later. Well, I need to get caught up on some reading. Have a great evening, all."

Mara went over to a beverage station and got them each something to drink and Luke plopped down onto a couch with a satisfied sigh. Mara came over and handed him a mug of dark liquid. Taking a whiff, Luke cocked a brow, "What's this? Doesn't smell like caff."

Mara sat down and snuggled up to him as he put a casual arm around her. "It's hot chocolate. I've always heard about it but never tried it. Since the Alliance seems to have gotten some, I figured I'd let you give it a try. If it isn't any good, I'll know to skip it."

Luke chuckled and hugged her a little closer before taking a sip. It was delicious. Mara took a sip of hers. "Mmmm. That is good. Okay, let's open her up and get some reading in."

Luke opened the book and they both began to read. Luke wasn't quite as fast as Mara so for the first few pages, she found herself waiting a few seconds. Suddenly, she said, "Hey, why don't we use our link and see if that helps us read faster. It would be a good exercise of telepathy if nothing else."

Luke liked the idea. Using the force, they linked their minds completely until it seemed to them like they were one person. To their astonishment, they could comprehend the information on the pages far more quickly, allowing them to read faster. They blazed through several chapters and their powers of retention were also increased since they had two minds working at it instead of one. After nearly an hour, they had to stop since the task was becoming tedious. Mara stretched and stood. "Okay, that's enough reading for now, Farmboy. I think a work out would be good. Can't have you getting flabby now can we? After that, we can get some lunch."

Luke looked down at himself. "Should I be worried about that?"

Mara chuckled. "Oh no. I'll never let you get flabby, Farmboy. Come on. I'll let you help me pick out my outfit."

She pulled Luke to his feet. Luke shook his head in amusement. "I'm not the one to ask about clothes, Mara. I still have some tunics and a hat from when I lived on Tatooine."

Mara looked aghast. "Really? Wow! That's terrible. You managed to dress yourself well enough on Naboo."

Luke shrugged. "I acquired those during a few missions with the Alliance. It took Han and Leia's help to find them."

Mara chuckled. "You let Solo help you shop for clothess? I'm surprised you're not wearing bloodstripe pants and leather vests."

Luke chuckled. Back at their quarters, Luke threw on a pair of loose fitting pants, some light shoes and a sleeveless white shirt that had Rogue Squadron's insignia emblazoned on it in red. He also took one of the kronos that Mara had given him off and then remembered that he had to give Leia her birthday gift. With a sigh, he muttered to himself, "I fail at this whole birthday thing."

Taking his krono, a water bottle, a datapad with music on it, a pair of remotes and his sister's gift, he put them neatly in a small dufflebag. When he went back into the corridor, Mara exited her room, her hair in a series of braids that were secured with a elastic band and wearing a tight gray and red outfit. "Ready?" she asked as Luke took the opportunity to look at her. The outfit didn't hide any of her athletic and slightly curvy form even though it covered from neck to feet. Luke nodded. "Ready when you are. What shall we be working on today?"

Mara shrugged. "I don't know. I figured some lightsaber work, a little hand to hand combat, maybe some cardio and core work. I really didn't have a specific regimen in mind. Hey, after this and after some lunch, why don't you see if the fighter groups are doing any training? I'd love to get behind the stick for awhile."

Luke nodded. It sounded like a great idea. They made it to the workout area. The weight machines and equipment were packed with Alliance personnel and the matted open areas had soldiers, space marines and others working on hand to hand combat. Luke and Mara headed over to where Lieutenant Page and a couple of his commandos were working with members of Rogue Squadron, Grey Squadron, Blue Squadron and a hand full of Spec Ops agents. As soon as they walked up, Page stopped what he was doing and grinned. "Here's the two best fighters to ever hit the mats. You two gonna give us another demonstration?"

Mara looked at Luke. "How bout it, Farmboy?"

Chuckles came from the ranks of the fighter pilots and commandos. Wedge grinned wickedly. "Yeah, _Farmboy._ Why don't you show us your moves?"

Mara looked severely at Wedge. "HEY! Only I'M allowed to call him 'Farmboy' Antilles. Find your own nickname for him."

More chuckles came from the group as Luke and Mara took places facing each other. The fight was long and grueling as they always were but Luke and Mara grinned the entire time. They loved their sparring matches, even if they did bruise and bloody each other a bit. By the time it was over, foutry-five minutes had passed and they were both laying side by side on their backs, grinning like fools and breathing heavily. Wedge and another Rogue Tycho Celchu, stood over and looked down at them. "You two are crazier than a bag of ewoks." said Wedge, shaking his head. Luke stood to his feet and pulled Mara up. They drank water, and talked about the fight before going off a little ways for some lightsaber practice. Before they ignited their weapons, they noticed Wade walking over to them from the direction of the weight machines. He was covered in sweat and wore a simple pair of pants and a rather faded and ripped sleeveless shirt. "Mind if I watch?"

Luke nodded. "Sure. Just don't try any of it until you get some practice. It may look easy but I'd hate for you to cut your arm off or something."

Wade shrugged. "I've been practicing - kinda. I built some practice droids at home. In my spare time, I practiced blocking stun bolts and such. It took me awhile to get that I wasn't fast enough on my own. I had to relax. The first time I started to get it, I closed my eyes and things suddenly became clear and I was able to deflect several bolts."

Luke and Mara looked at each other before Luke looked back at him. "Wait a moment, Wade."

He went to his duffel and pulled out the remotes. "Here. Practice with one of these. Do what you did the first time. Close your eyes and stretch out with your feelings."

Wade obeyed, taking his lightsaber and striking a combat stance. It looked a little awkward to Luke and Mara's eyes. "Wait a second, kid." said Mara, walking over and adjusting his stance a little. "Hands here on your saber - spread your legs out a little more and bend your knees. Relax and stay loose. There you go."

Wade nodded, memorizing the position. Luke activated the remote and said, "Okay, relax, close your eyes and stretch out with your feelings."

Wade nodded again and obeyed. Mara and Luke stepped back and watched. Wade deflected every bolt that came his way with relative ease. "This may be easier than we thought;" murmured Mara. Luke frowned, thinking the same thing. "Hey, Luke."

From the bay entrance came Leia and Winter Detric, her aid. Leia watched Wade with interest. "Well Wade has some experience. Apparently he built his own training droids."

Mara went to her bag and pulled out her old lightsaber before grabbing the second remote from Luke's bag. "Why don't we get you started, Leia? It's never too early to start training."

Leia gingerly took the lightsaber and activated it. Mara activated the remote and said, "Okay, take a combat stance like so. Good. Okay, relax and stretch out with your feelings."

Leia was stung several times and Luke and Mara could sense her frustration. Mara stepped forward "Hold on, Leia. Close it down for a second and take a deep breath. Close your eyes and stretch out with your feelings."

Luke watched as Mara walked Leia through the exercise. Soon enough, Leia was blocking stun bolts with relative ease and Mara stood by Luke and watched. Luke looked at Mara, smiling fondly. Mara cocked an eyebrow. "What?"

Luke put a hand around her waist and gave her an affectionate half hug. "You seem to be quite the teacher, Mara."

She smiled and hefted her lightsaber. "Want to get a match or two in?"

The personnel of the Star Cruiser _Home One_ were heartened to see the four Jedi as they trained. The news that the Jedi had returned spread outward and did not just stay in the Alliance Fleet. Soon, worlds and systems were contacting the Alliance leadership, petitioning to join the Alliance of Free Planets. A month after returning from Naboo, Luke and Mara stood in the designated training room of the _Lost Cause,_ their five students awaiting their instructions. Mara looked at Luke as he cleared his throat and confidently said, "Let us begin."

 **I hope you enjoyed this story. Once again please read and review. If you want me to continue along this story line, please let me know in the form of a review.**

 **I do not own Star Wars or any of the characters. I wrote this because I like to write and people like Star Wars.**

 **I have begun work on a third part of this AU story line called Dark Lords of the Sith.**

 **Updated May 27, 2016**


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